Stylo
by Hack.Drawer
Summary: After the events of 'White Rabbit', Sanji just wants to figure out what to do with his life. While he's in the midst of that, CP9 is on a mission to take over where Zeff left off - one spreadsheet at a time...if they could just stop helping Lucci flirt with Sanji. AU, Crack!fic, dramatic Doflamingo, desperate Kid, Shachi on a mission for his master's degree
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I had intense browser issues with this fic previously. So i got frustrated, deleted EVERYTHING, and am putting it back to the form that i need - longer chapters, better flow! Thanks to all those that had reviewed it the last time - you guys are awesome!**

 **Chapter One**

The spring weather allowed blooming trees and burgeoning green lawns. Flowers danced lightly in the warming breeze, and shorts were becoming popular for those eager to escape their winter wear. The insects were chirring noisily, the sun blossoming in a warm blue sky – all around them was the awakening of outside activity, and it couldn't have been more peaceful than this.

That was a bandage on one cheek from a hard sparring session with his _shinai_ , and his hat was pulled low so that the brim hid most of his expression. His pants were rolled at the hem because he chose not to partake in the shorts trend currently happening. Law concentrated on his newest manga, eyes moving from side to side as he absorbed the brilliantly rendered battle of Super Pike Bike Man and his sidekick, Tricycle Boy. Next to his head was a beautifully lacquered tray with a pitcher of lemonade with ice, fruit and a ladle. Around that were a couple of cups and creatively made braces-friendly snacks encased within Tupperware containers. Both of them were sitting atop of a blanket Sanji had pulled down from his grandfather's collection, and while the setting seemed so 'gay' to Law, he felt too comfortable to leave it.

They were sitting underneath a tree in the apartment complex's park area, where kids played on the equipment nearby, and Sanji had all his scrapbooking supplies around him.

"Hi, Mrs. Brighton! Welcome back! How was your grocery run?"

"Hi, Mr Thompson!"

"Hi, Mr and Mrs Willams! Are you back from your vacation?"

"I can't read if you're yelling in my ear every five seconds!" Law complained as Sanji sat back down on the blanket next to him. He re-opened his scrapbook, where he'd been coloring and pasting various things for most of the morning.

"I'm sitting way over here, you bastard," Sanji said cheerily, capping his gluestick. "If I wanted to yell in your ear, I would've done so – hi, Mrs Gaylon!"

"You just did!"

"Pish posh. Law, if your mouth hurts so much, why are you talking? Shouldn't you just sit there with it closed?"

Law's tongue crept over the braces that made his teeth ache, and his jaw complain. He scowled at Sanji, who was humming as he colored a page, head bent over with concentration. Every once in a while, he'd look up, scan the faces of those returning or leaving their apartment complex and shout out to them. It unnerved Law how Sanji knew so many people by their names, and gave them so much attention. He'd prefer not to bother with anybody – he chose to keep them at glare's length.

Besides, e _veryone_ knew who his father and uncle were, and all of them chose to stay far away from him, not wanting to be associated with 'riff-raff'.

But Sanji was a different breed of kid – he was the type to smile at everybody, and flirt with the younger set – Law still wasn't sure what made him hang around the kid, besides his amazing snack-making skills. For a child of eight, Sanji was quite talented.

Law then looked over his head to see Darcy Rue coming up the walkway, a half smile on her face as she held a bag from the corner mart in one hand, her phone in the other. He sat up quickly, feeling his cheeks warm as he felt in awe of her long golden hair, her light smattering of freckles, her cheerful expression. Sanji looked at him, then followed his line of vision, spotting the girl.

"Hi, Darcy!" he shouted cheerfully, abandoning his scrapbook and snatching the Tupperware container so he could intercept her. Law tried to call him back, but the boy was already in the girl's line of vision, and she paused in mid-step to allow him to catch up. Law wondered what it felt like to have that much confidence and security to just go up and talk to someone else, and pulled his knees in close as Sanji used his eight year old charms on the middle schooler.

Law had been admiring her for some time. He was drawn in by her presence, and he was pretty sure that if he ever wanted to try and talk to a girl, she was the one. There was something about her smile and cheer that made him feel she'd say 'hi' to him if he managed the confidence to say something to her. When she took the snack Sanji held out to her, she glanced at him, and he quickly looked away, too embarrassed to make eye contact with her.

Sanji returned to him, exhaling heavily. "I did everything I could. It's up to you, now," he said, causing Law to freeze with shock. Once he realized that Darcy was just standing there with an expectant look to her face, he paled. His soul might've even crept out from his dropped jaw. "Go talk to her. tell her she looks pretty in her sundress, and compliment the highlights in her hair. Mention the cornflower blue of her eyes, and suggest an evening at the park on the swings!"

"Shut up, you're so dumb! I'm not talking to her! I don't even know what to say!"

"Now's the opportunity! Take it! Don't be a wimp! Do you want me to go with you?"

"No! I can't talk to her!"

"Darcy! Come here!" Sanji shouted, waving at her to join them. She did so, and Law practically exploded with embarrassment and shock, unable to think of anything to say to her. 'Hi' was definitely an impossibility. There was no way he could talk in front of such a pretty vision, sure that anything he said to a girl would be considered 'stupid'. His throat closed up. His heart raced. His face bloomed with red, and Sanji gave him a thumbs up.

"Darcy, Law and I were enjoying some snacks and lemonade. He made it himself," Sanji said, gesturing at the pitcher, lying extravagantly so that his friend made points with the girl. "Would you like some?"

"No, thanks," she declined politely, looking at Law. She recognized him. He was the boy who always had a book in his face, who said mean things to other kids if they bothered to talk to him, and whose parents made her parents and others complain to the school board. He always looked intimidating, glaring at every one who accidently looked at him, but whenever she caught him looking at her, he had a dopey expression on his face. "Hi."

When he said nothing in return, looking at his manga – which he tried to hide subtly to the side of him – she frowned.

"Well, _rude_ ," she commented. "How come your friend is so nice and you're not?"

"It's a disease," Sanji confessed, standing quickly as he realized that Law was having a hard time responding. "I like talking to people. Law only talks to a few because he chooses his friends very carefully."

Hand on her hip, Darcy asked, "So I'm not good enough to talk to? Maybe he can't, with those things on his teeth. Oh, well, he doesn't have anything nice to say, anyway."

"Ah, well, it does hurt for him to talk, so maybe he doesn't have anything to say. I'll walk you to the door!"

"Is it true, Law?" Darcy asked, bending slightly just to look him in the eyes. "Your dads are gay? Are you going to be a homo, too?"

Irritated at her attitude, Law stood up quickly, and she backed off with a startled expression, Sanji freezing in the middle of pouring another drink.

"My uncle and his brother are definitely not gay, asshole. Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me that way? Hopefully the next time you utilize your car, you and your family don't get into an _accident_ ," Law threatened her, and she cowered, backing away. Sanji looked at him in horror. "And what the hell are you talking about, I can't talk with these stupid things? Obviously, I talk just fine. I just chose not to talk to idiots like you who can't even pass their science tests. Walk your dumb ass out into traffic, jerk!"

"What a thing to say!" she exclaimed.

"You can't say that sort of thing to a girl!" Sanji exclaimed, as Darcy quickly turned and ran away from them, Law looking furious as he held onto his _shinai_ tightly. "That wasn't very nice, Law!"

" _She_ wasn't very nice," he grumbled, sitting down with a hard flounce. "I can't believe I even thought she was."

With a sympathetic frown, Sanji handed him the drink he'd poured. "Well, to be honest, she _was_ being a jerk."

"And who the hell are you to go up to somebody like that?"

"I just wanted to help out! I figured if you weren't going to do anything, I'd just help you."

"I don't want your help, stupid!"

" _Fine_. Shut up and drink your juice!"

"Girls are stupid, anyway," Law grumbled, sipping at the cold liquid. "I told you they were."

"Maybe if you smiled more, they'd like you better," Sanji commented. When Law looked at him and managed a half smile, he winced. "Or not. You look constipated."

"It hurts, okay? I can't! I refuse! And shut up, brat, it doesn't matter, anyway. Girls are stupid. They like boys like – like older versions of you, who do stuff for them. Guys like me don't get girls – Doffy says we have to buy them. I'm unclear on that. I don't know if he means by prostitution or through mail order."

"What's 'prostitution'?"

Law blinked and looked up at the tree they sat under. "Pretty sure it's buying their company for, like, a night to talk to, or...I don't know. Whatever you do with women. Cora told him to shut up, and I keep forgetting to look it up."

"You can _buy_ women? Like from the store?" Sanji asked, amazed and interested, crouching next to him. "How much money do you have?"

"Twenty dollars."

"How much do you think they cost?"

"I don't know, and I don't care! Choke on your pineapples, asshole. 'Ch." With a dejected look at the doorway that Darcy had taken to escape, he scowled, pulling his knees to his chest again while Sanji finished off his drink and set it aside.

"I'm going to start saving, then. It shouldn't cost more than fifty to buy a lady from the store," Sanji said. "When I buy one, I'm going to pamper her."

Law gave him a look of disgust, then hit him with his _shinai_. "You are such a weird kid! You're eight! What do you know about that stuff?"

"Then we'll get married, and have kids right after high school!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, this is stupid. I'm going home."

"Okay, well – there's plenty of fish in the sea, Law! Don't let the loss of one lady prevent you from wanting the love of another!"

"You're so dumb, I swear. Life isn't about 'ladies', you know."

Sanji looked at him with a wide-eyed horror. "Then what is it about, if they're all around us?"

"I don't know! There's something different out there, and I'm sure I'll find it. Anyway, I better go home. Cora was bitching about my room, again."

"Mr Flamingo come back from Florida, yet?"

"No."

"Come to dinner, then. I'll make you your favorite. Papa's going to be out late at work."

"Okay."

Later that evening, when Corazon was frowning at a gossip rag, smoking a cigarette, Sanji leaned over the couch to say to him, "How much do ladies cost, Mr Cora?"'

Corazon choked on his smoke.

"Me and Law were talking about buying a lady, because he said that Doffy said that only him and Law could buy ladies, and he called it "pross de tuition", and I was just wondering because I might want to buy one, too."

"OH MY GOD! _DOFFY_! LAW!" Corazon shouted, reddening. Law emerged from his room with a scowl, trash bag in hand. "Come here!"

"Doffy isn't here," Law reminded him crankily, Sanji resting his cheek upon his palm as Corazon twisted in the couch to look at them both.

"Both of you will not talk about 'prostitution' anymore, and if Doffy mentions it ever again, you tell him that I told you guys that it's not a subject to be discussed around kids!" Corazon sputtered, Sanji carefully pushing the hand holding the cigarette to the side.

"But I was just curious," Sanji said, straightening away from the couch. "What if I can't find a lady, either? What if I have to buy one, too? Do they come in stores? Or do you have to order them from Amazon?"

"You are such a weird kid," Law told him as Corazon continued to look horrified.

"Don't worry about it! It's not a subject kids should be talking about!" he said, causing both of them to frown. "It's an adult topic!"

"Why?" Law asked curiously. "Is this like one of those things, like Doffy's breath mint business?"

"YES. PLEASE. Don't talk about it any more, please, Law, not - Sanji, _please_ don't mention that we'd talked about this to you to your papa, because Zeff will kill us all," Corazon then pleaded, looking at the boy with genuine fright. "He probably won't let you come over, anymore."

With some reluctance, Sanji shrugged. "Okay."

"How on earth did you even start talking about this, anyway?" Corazon demanded of Law, looking at him with a frown.

"Darcy Rue," Sanji answered quickly. "She said some things to Law, and he said that he and Doffy were the type to buy women, anyway."

"Shut up, you little brat! Don't tell him things like that!"

Corazon just sank down on the couch with mortification, cigarette to his mouth. He shook his head, lips tight. "I can't believe Doffy – Law, don't listen to him! Half the shit he says is not even true! You will not be buying women when you're older! Sanji! Don't take the things Law says seriously!"

"Is this a really bad thing, Mr Cora?" Sanji asked curiously. "Buying women is a bad thing?"

"Yes, it is. It is a very bad thing."

"Is it a crime?"

"YES!"

"Why would we have to, anyway?" Law asked curiously, Corazon's face reddening slightly. "To talk to them, because they don't talk to us?"

"I…go finish cleaning your room, we'll talk about it later."

"Why can't you talk about it in front of me?" Sanji asked with a suspicious expression.

Corazon began to sweat. "It's not…it's not for young children – it's not an appropriate topic."

 _"Law's_ a kid!"

"I'm _thirteen!_ I am actually almost a teenager."

"I'm going to learn anyway! If I ask Papa – "

" _Don't talk about this topic to your papa_! He'll be so angry at us – at me, at Law – it's not an appropriate topic for children. Look, if you can keep a secret…"

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" Sanji declared, Law venturing out of his room with his trash bag once he saw that Corazon was weakening over being pressed for an answer. His sweaty forehead and jittery hands suggested that this was an intense topic.

"Basically, you are buying a woman's _friendship_ for the night," Corazon explained shakily, red-faced as he realized how far he was stepping into a forbidden zone.

Sanji made a face. "I'm paying a lady to give me her _friendship_? That's the whole entire thing?"

"Yes. Only adults can do it, though."

"Why? How come I can't?"

"Because they can only _talk_ about _adult_ things."

Sanji leaned against the back of the couch and stared up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. Law stared at Corazon for several moments, looking for a secret answer, but the man looked like he was preparing to dig his own grave.

Corazon reached out and snagged Sanji's chin within one hand, forcing the boy to look at him. "Do _not_ mention this conversation to anyone. Do not attempt to buy a lady's 'friendship'. Do not talk to Zeff about it, because then you and Law can't be friends, anymore. Is this clear?"

"I don't understand!" Sanji complained, rolling over the back of the couch and into the cushions, resting his head atop of his thigh. "Why is it a secret if you just want to be friends with a lady for a night?"

"OH!" Law exclaimed, looking mortified after a few moments. " _Oh_!"

"SHHHH!" Corazon hissed, finger to his lips.

Law said, "Sanji, never mind about this stupid subject. Remember how you want a wife after school?"

"Yeah…?" Sanji said slowly, disappointed that Law knew the correct answer before he did.

"Well, you can't get that from a prostitute. They only want your money, and not the house, or kids or dog. They don't even like the dog idea. They don't even like _you_. It's like renting a movie that you don't even like, and wanting your money back."

Understanding hit Sanji at that moment, and he righted himself on the edge of the couch, and finally stood up. He looked vaguely disappointed.

Law crossed his arms with a huff, continuing with, "Besides, it's better if you find a wife on accident, not paying for her like a checklist, because there's…there's no _romance_ in a checklist. You're all about surprises, right?"

"Oh! You're right! I love surprises," Sanji said to Corazon, who only gave him a cheerful smile. "Well, I'm going to go home. Good night!"

"Stupid kid. Why am I friends with him?" Law muttered after Sanji left, Corazon exhaling heavily with relief. "Cora. A prostitute is someone that gets paid for sex, right?"

"Yes. Never speak of it, again."

"Ugh. Doffy's probably right, anyway," he said with a frown. "I can't talk to anybody. Girls hate me."

"They don't hate you, they just don't know what to say to you because _you're so handsome_!"

"Shut up! No I'm not! Anyway, I don't think of them the way that idiot, does. I just think that when I get older, maybe my point of view will change. It's not important, right now."

"It's not, because you're just a kid. It happens to us eventually, Law. You can't force people to like you or think differently of you. What's important is the true people in your life, and how they feel about you."

" _Stupid_."

"Did you get rejected, today?" Corazon asked with concern, wondering who'd reject his sullen baby when he clearly tried so hard to win the approval of others.

"GAH! I don't want to talk about that sort of thing! It's none of your business! And it's not rejection if I wasn't asking for her attention, anyway!" Law snarled at him, red faced and shaking his trash bag at Corazon. "Don't ask me again! I need to finish cleaning my room! Leave me alone!"

Corazon made a pouty face as the boy slammed his door shut behind him. He smoked sullenly, figuring he'd just ask Sanji about it later on. It hurt his heart to hear what Law had to say, but he was young. There was still time for things to change, and for him to experience the best of what the world had to offer.

: :

The next day, Doflamingo winced as Corazon slapped him upside the head as soon as he stepped into the apartment, suitcases bumping into various things along the way.

"You _idiot_! Why are you talking about things like prostitution in front of the kids?" Corazon asked immediately, glaring at his older brother.

" _OW_. Oh, well…I don't remember. And is this how I'm greeted upon my return? With accusations and slander? First, I miss my flight, then I piss off the bakery, then I realized I left my ID in another state – _then_ it was the middle seat for four hours to Milwaukee - "

"You don't talk about _adult_ things in front of impressionable minds!"

"I - ! I had no idea anybody even _listened_ to me in this household!" Doflamingo exclaimed, running a hand through his blond hair with agitation. At that moment, Corazon crossed his arms tightly over his chest, glaring up at him. "Anyway, so, regarding the bakery, I think it'd be good for Law to – "

" _NO_."

"But they're taking in kids, so if we submit an application –"

"NO!"

"But he's dark and ruthless and tortured right now, so by the time he's an adult - !"

" _I SAID NO_."

"But _every_ boy grows up wishing he were an assass - !"

" _NO_ , DOFFY! _**NO**_!"

Doflamingo frowned at his brother. Corazon had put his foot down, and his steely expression told him he was not going to get anywhere with him.

Before anything else could be said, Law's door to his room opened, and Sanji raced out – both of them were still in their school uniform, and Doflamingo looked at Law with disapproval.

Clearly, the kid had forgotten their talk about him hanging out with a much younger boy, encouraging gossip amongst the tenants.

"Mr Flamingo - !"

" _Doffy_ \- !"

"Mr Flamingo, _Law said that you said the reason why_ _you wear little clothes is because you're_ \- !"

" _It's not true_! Don't listen to him!"

Roughly, Doflamingo separated them both so he could glare down at them equally. "ENOUGH OF THIS! I had a long day. I lost at the horse races, I lost at life, and I come home to slaps and shouts, and it's like – everyone just needs to stop what they're doing. You all need to let me do my thing. I need space. I will _leave_ again."

"Mr Flamingo, is it true that the reason why people think you're intimidating is because you're a - ?"

Law slapped a hand over Sanji's mouth. " _STOP_! Get out of my home! Go play out in the parking lot and die!"

"Whatever you're going to ask, it's not true," Doflamingo said sternly. Law frowned up at him with clear exasperation, Sanji's expression changing to something wide-eyed and horrified. " _Wait_. What'd you hear? Don't listen to him. LAW! Are you spreading rumors to your _one_ friend about me, again? This is an impressionable mind you're trying to corrupt, and while I admire you for it, now's not the time. Go to your room. Think about your actions."

But he leaned down to whisper, "Good job manipulating your minions while they're young. That way, they're willing to be human shields without question - "

Corazon hit him again, almost causing his glasses to fall from his face.

"Told you!" Sanji said to Law, pushing him, causing the older kid to push him back.

Corazon gently pushed the kids aside as they wrestled, slamming off of furniture, shouting over each other on their way to the front door. Then he turned to Doflamingo with a glare.

"Isn't it odd how I missed the sound of kids playing?" Doflamingo said, grinning. "Like happy music to the ears – _Fine_. Look, all I said that day, that _could've_ been suspect, was that my personality and his personality were alike, and that we were Team Single for life. And if I ever wanted a woman's company, I'd have to pay for it, because there's no way any woman would want to involve themselves with someone as sexy as me. I'm much too dangerous for them to come to me willingly. And I told him the only way girls would talk to him is if he paid for their services. Because he's a little shit, and no one likes him."

Corazon lit his cigarette. " _Wow_. To a thirteen year old. You're saying this shit to a _thirteen year old_."

"If we want him to grow up equal to us - !" Doflamingo started to say when his brother cut him off with a hard gesture.

"That's the entire point! We don't!" Corazon exclaimed.

"OWIE!" Sanji screamed in the background, something shattering on the kitchen floor.

Doflamingo growled, growing irritated at his brother's lecturing. "Could you text me that memo, next time? The next time you have something significant to say or teach the little bastard, could you give me a little warning?"

"You don't talk that sort of thing around _kids_ ," Corazon stressed, gesturing at the boys with his cigarette in hand. "You don't tell a thirteen year old that his only option with women are _goddamn prostitutes_. _DOFFY_."

"I'm going to fart on you so hard, all your hair will fall out!" they heard Law snarl.

Doflamingo then shrugged. "I'm preparing him, what can I say? Life is cruel. Life is especially cruel to men like us, men that Law can be, if he'd just let it – so we have to do what we have to do in order to get any love and affection - "

"NOT TRUE!"

" _STOP_!" Sanji screamed.

" _I can't believe you_!" Corazon exclaimed, hands in his hair, burning several strands with his cigarette.

"LAW! GIRLY BOY! Front and center! NOW!" Doflamingo bellowed, causing both kids to untangle from each other. "I understand that some things happened, that I _might've_ said some inappropriate things in front of you. I totally _don't_ apologize for it. if you can't handle the reality of your life, then it's your own damn fault! Trust your own goddamn instincts and your own judgment, and not those of others! I didn't get this far in life being obedient, I can tell you that, so - !"

Corazon kicked him, then shoved him towards the main hall so he could go put his things away. "You ass!"

Doflamingo dropped his suitcase, then jerked him onto the floor. Law and Sanji watched as they wrestled, kicking and punching at each other, cursing and insulting until Doflamingo pinned Corazon onto the floor, working spit up in his mouth.

"Let's go outside," Law told Sanji, Sanji watching Corazon shriek with horror underneath Doflamingo's grasp, a long line of spit dangling from his lips. "This is so _embarrassing_."

"I still never got to ask if - !"

"You don't need to know!"

But as soon as Sanji stepped out, Law shut and locked the door behind him. Sanji kicked and yelled, but went home anyway, so Law turned and waited for the brothers to separate. Corazon wiped his face with a horrified expression, and Doflamingo stood up and looked at him.

"I thought I told you not to be hanging out that kid. It's inspiring certain talk amongst our neighbors."

"I heard you, but it's like I don't listen to you. It's a strange thing."

"You little shit - !"

"And, besides, you just finished telling me that I shouldn't listen to anyone but myself because you didn't get this far in life being obedient to others."

Doflamingo stared at him for several seconds, while Law stared at him back, understanding that he won this round. Saying nothing, Doflamingo snatched up his suitcases, then stomped towards his room. Law grinned, looking at Corazon, who couldn't help but be proud of him.

: :

After school the next day, Sanji was seated near the rock wall with Law's after school snack in hand. He saw Darcy Rue running up the walkway, looking upset. When she caught sight of Sanji looking at her, she glared at him.

A few minutes later, Law walked up to him, lowering his Mountain Dew to his side. "Did that girl just come through here?"

"Yes. She looked upset."

" _Good_. Because I told her that for her transgression the other day, she'll now endure 365 days of verbal pain. If my mouth has to suffer because of these wretched braces, she'll now suffer whatever I dish out."

Sanji frowned impatiently at him. "That's not how you get a girlfriend, Law."

"I don't want one. Besides," Law said, taking the cubed apple pieces and pears drizzled with fruit sauce, to be washed down with sparkling water, "I'm Team Single. I don't need anybody. It's going to be me, myself and I though life."

"What about me?"

"What _about_ you?"

"Where am I, in between 'me, myself and I'?"

"You're my slave. You and your wife. _And_ Momo. _And_ all your kids."

Sanji shrugged. It sounded like a pretty good deal to him. Job security, and all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Spring came gently. The season began with soft blossoming of flowers, and a messy deconstruction of the snowy weather that blew in like a beast. With the revelation of warmer temps that encouraged more outside participation, traffic was a little heavier than expected. The cold wind that blew off the harbor brought with it discomfort and chilly complaints from those closest to it, but to those a little further inland, it was just right.

The city moved slowly as the sun slowly crept overhead – the shadows it cast had those on sidewalks moving hastily, and while jackets were used, some were being pulled off so that the full warmth of the sun could touch skin made pale by winter. There were clouds building in the distance, but they were a non-threat – it was just too beautiful of a spring day to enjoy from the outside.

Tony Chopper examined his notes once more, a thick book opened in front of him. It was the newest textbook he'd found in Law's collection, and while the man had put it up high just to annoy the tiny reindeer, Chopper had yet to show the man that height didn't pose much of a problem for him. He hadn't even shown Law that he could change forms. The man had left the house for a destination he hadn't said anything about, and Chopper wasn't even going to worry because Sanji wasn't worried about it. Sanji sat in the other chair, frowning at a thick book of his own, writing down various details in a notebook with an impatient air.

Both of them were at a coffee shop, and while Chopper received unusual looks, they were mostly ignored. He supposed it had to do with Zoro openly napping across from them, and the baristas didn't try to wake him up again after the last time – three swords and coffee didn't mix well together.

After being kidnapped and brainwashed by Chopper's adoptive 'father', Dr Hiluluk, Sanji had been convinced he was a pirate living for adventure on the high seas, so the recovery and treatment process had been a long one.

Not only did he have to fight to remember every day that he was not a pirate – thanks to a mixture of hallucinogens that Hiluluk had created expressively for him – but he emerged from the ordeal as a changed man that missed out on the events he should've been participating with his friends. He was a man that had to re-learn and adjust to the normality of a world he, as a pirate, was not familiar with.

A few weeks ago, he stopped taking the special mixture that Doflamingo's associate, Caesar Clown, had made for him, to ease him off the withdrawal symptoms. He was no longer 'potent' enough to drug another person with his body fluids – Chopper wasn't sure what Law meant by that, but that man had been pretty happy about it. He had to wonder if it had been Sanji's sweat that gave Law weight to make such a comment, but Sanji often shut the man up with exclamations that caused a scene.

So while most of his friends were in college, striving towards goals that he once knew about, Sanji was studying basic high school applications just to get his General Education Degree. He was having a hard time with it – while he managed to remember things here and there during his night classes, he often felt frustrated because his memories weren't the same.

Being convinced that he'd been a pirate most of his life eliminated most of the intricate detail that originally made him _him_ – he had told Chopper that he felt like not only was he convinced that he was a pirate forced to adapt to land, but lost in an entirely new world, too.

Chopper was sympathetic towards him over it – after all, Hiluluk had stolen off with Sanji's personality and his memories just to get revenge on Zeff for his involvement in a long ago crime. He felt partly responsible for it because he'd been there the night Hiluluk had taken Sanji, but he was also drugged to such a degree in that, to protect him from Zeff, he'd been taken to the same dream world as Sanji had visited. For those years after, Chopper had thought that Zeff or Law would find him and kill him for his involvement, but on a cold night weeks ago, Sanji had found him and had essentially adopted him into the family he'd learned to accept as his own.

Chopper was happy. He lost Hiluluk and Dr Kureha, Hiluluk partner in crime, but he gained a bigger family after that. He felt very comfortable in Sanji's presence, because both of them knew what the effects of the Tea Party was capable of, and the man had no ill will towards him at all; Chopper argued with Law because Law called him 'Momo' –for whatever reason – and treated him like a pet; the others teased him, but otherwise treated him fairly and reasonably, and Chopper couldn't imagine living anywhere else because of it.

So if Law ordered him to 'fetch' when Sanji wandered off in pursuit of something he was convinced he could do on his own, Chopper would seek him out and give him company. Today had been one of those days where 'fetch' turned into studying in the coffeeshop, because Sanji wanted out of the condo. Chopper's cellphone already had everyone's numbers, so when Zoro arrived out of 'sheer coincidence', Sanji threatened to shave off all his fur for tattling on him.

"I'm twenty years old, I'm in charge of my own life," Chopper had heard Sanji mutter.

"It's better to study in the company of friends!" Chopper had said in response.

He looked up because Sanji was staring out the window with a wistful expression on his face, tapping his mechanical pencil on his notes. "Are you stuck?" he asked.

"Just thinking," Sanji said slowly. "I remember I'd always wanted to attend culinary school in…in San Francisco, but there's no way I could do that, now."

"San Francisco's nice! I went there, once."

Sanji reached over to adjust Chopper's hat, the reindeer outfitted in a small clothes set appropriate for the weather outside. He himself was wearing a light sweater over fitted slacks, the soft cream color highlighting his coloring, and Chopper remembered that Law was pestering the man all morning before he left; they often got too rough with each other, sometimes. The older man was relentless until he got his way, and Chopper could hear Sanji crying in the bedroom, but Law assured him that it was cries of joy from too much tickling, much to Sanji's mortification.

"We need a bigger place, then," Law had said, Chopper concerned about the light bruising he saw on Sanji's neck. It was terrible how abusive the man was with Sanji, and Chopper wasn't sure whether to cry or be angry with the older man. Sanji looked quite cheerful for looking ravaged. "My kids need their own rooms, and your pet needs a bigger laundry room."

"Your ' _kids'_? They're a year younger than you," Sanji said with amusement, thinking of Penguin and Shachi, both of whom stayed over whenever Shachi was in town, and when Penguin was off his three-day shift. The condo was definitely a little too crowded with everyone there at once, but he enjoyed the noise – it made him feel as if they were a strangely compatible man-family.

"Makes no difference, especially when they're leaving their crap here at my home like they own it," Law muttered, kicking aside one of Shachi's shoes.

Sanji did agree at that point, leaving it up to him.

Now, at the coffeeshop, Chopper hoped Sanji felt free and relaxed to be himself. Living with the other man caused him such stress. Law just couldn't keep his hands and mouth to himself with Sanji around, so it seemed like Sanji was constantly smothered by him.

Sanji gazed out the window with a wistful expression. "I sort of remember falling in love with the place when Zeff and I moved there for a brief time, but…I don't have the same feeling. So…so with that, what's my next dream to follow?"

"Maybe you should reacquaint yourself with the city!" Chopper suggested.

Sanji regarded the idea with some thoughtful action, tapping his pencil against the book. "In the end, with our new responsibilities, it won't matter. It's important that I remain here. I can't abandon the others. I just…don't know what to do when it comes to my future, here. Everyone's going to college, and I haven't even received my high school diploma to start anything. _Or_ my driver's license, for that matter..."

Chopper felt guilt eat at his gut once more. He looked down at the book in front of him, an upset look to his face. It wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help but feel responsibility for what happened.

"I'll get it together, one day, don't worry about it," Sanji reassured him, a positive smile on his face. "After all, I can't continue to look at it as if my entire life ended – really, it only just started. Maybe I can do something else."

"I'm sure there are culinary schools here, too, Sanji," Chopper said with a worried expression.

"Exactly. Besides, that homo I live with hates San Francisco. Probably because when he visited, it awakened all his gay inner feelings, and he tends to avoid anything that makes him uncomfortable."

"Why do you insult each other so lovingly?" Chopper asked, unable to understand why Sanji stayed with the man that openly threatened him and couldn't keep his "angry" hands to himself. He didn't understand how Sanji could even _allow_ it. Whenever Chopper walked in on the older man tossing Sanji around, Sanji yelling and apologizing, Chopper could only watch in horror. The man was an animal, an angry beast, and Chopper didn't understand why Sanji never asked for help from the others.

Penguin and Shachi did nothing to help, either – they either complained that they were being too 'obscene', or were being too weird and making them uncomfortable. Shachi was the most affected – trembling and mumbling to himself, and Chopper was sure the violence was getting to him the most, so Chopper felt the most concern for him.

Sanji chuckled, looking back at his book. Chopper studied him for a few moments – that smile didn't leave Sanji's face for some time, clearly distracted as he looked out the window again, chin to palm. Then he hurriedly straightened up with a scowl, looking down at his book and making a couple of notes.

"Excuse me. Is this a reindeer?"

Both of them looked up at the white pigeon that was perched there atop of Zoro's lowered head. At the sight of the bird fitted with a tie, Chopper gasped, reacting with a dramatic flail of his arms as Sanji wondered if that thing truly had spoken to them.

"Sanji! That bird can talk! What a freak of nature!" Chopper exclaimed.

"So it did."

The bird preened for a few moments, then straightened up, claws digging slightly into the green hair it was perched upon. Zoro continued to snore, oblivious to the animal using him as a perch.

"I couldn't help but notice that you two are essentially here alone. Would you like a refill?" the bird asked curiously, tilting his head to the side.

"Hot chocolate, please!" Chopper said happily. "Extra whipped cream!"

"No, thanks, but thank you for the offer," Sanji declined, wondering if the bird had a master. He scanned the shop, the customers all either involved with their electronics or each other. The baristas were busy, and though the bird was given curious expressions, no one was looking their way.

"Certainly. And, if no one else mentions it today, you're a very attractive man," the bird said.

Sanji scowled suspiciously. "Is this coming from a man or woman?"

"Would it matter?"

"It would!"

"A compliment is a compliment."

Zoro lifted his head with a snort, the bird fluttering anxiously away from him. "I'm sensing murderous intentions."

"So you're alive," Sanji said in amusement, watching as Zoro sputtered with the fluttering of feathers around his head, looking around with surprise. The bird landed once more atop of Zoro's head, and the man looked up with confusion, startled at the weight.

"What the hell is this place?" Zoro asked, waving a hand at the bird that then fluttered off to the counter to deliver the order. "What is that? Did I hear that thing talk?"

"Wasn't it the weirdest thing?" Chopper asked. "Talking birds!"

"Just as unusual as talking reindeer. Hey, you done, yet?" Zoro asked Sanji, brushing feathers from his shoulders.

"Almost. You can go – I don't need to be babysat."

"That's probably what those guys thought that one night."

Sanji scowled at him, lowering his pencil to the book. He really had no response for that – Dr Hiluluk had taken him just feet away from the condo he lived in with Zeff. This concern his friends had for his safety and security was ridiculous – he felt like he was never truly alone, as if no one believed he could take care of himself.

And, maybe in some aspects, he had to admit, he couldn't.

"Thanks for the concern, but I'm a grown man. I don't need babysitters."

"Is this babysitting?" Zoro asked, used to Sanji's bluster. "No, but for real. I had the feeling that there was someone dangerous about."

"Just me."

"You're about as dangerous as this muffin," Zoro said, reaching for the treat he had been snacking on before falling asleep. His flannel shirt was open, exposing a white shirt tucked into black jeans, and his swords were hanging from somewhere underneath that _haramaki_ – Sanji really needed to work on his fashion sense. He stared at his friend, wondering how he thought his presentation was okay.

Once a barista delivered the mug of hot chocolate to Chopper with extra whipped cream, she smiled at them, and set down a plate of cookies. "This is for you, too, sir. Please enjoy!"

"That bird was really nice!" Chopper commented, drinking carefully as Sanji looked at the cookies suspiciously. Chopper sniffed them, searching for any sort of poison, then giving them an approving gesture. "He should've stayed so we could chat a little longer."

"That bird ordered all this?" Zoro asked skeptically, taking a cookie. "Who's he work for?"

"I don't know. No one was looking over here when it came by," Sanji said, picking up a cookie and feeding it to Chopper. When he scanned the shop once more, he didn't see the bird anywhere. "He seems to be gone, now."

Zoro looked at him with examination, then around the coffee shop once more. Nobody stood out that looked any dangerous, but then again, that sensation was gone, now. "Are you doing it again, fish?"

"Doing what, ass? And what's with the 'fish' business?"

After wiping his hands on his jeans, Zoro said, "Drawing in weird attention from dangerous fellows."

Sanji snorted, remembering his friend telling him years ago how a certain 'glow' from him attracted stronger fighters. He felt himself blush, flattered that he could be capable of that sort of attention – it was still a little new to him how he caught men looking at him, or saying things to him that went over his head until he thought about it later.

As a pirate, he hadn't experienced that sort of attention, but as a man in this moment, it caused him some confusion and horror.

When that memory completed its run, Sanji brushed his hair from his face. "No. Weird. And don't call me a fish."

Zoro crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. "Did Gin get a bird? I can't remember…"

"Gin does not have a bird," Sanji reassured him, thinking of Don Kreig's right hand man with an amused smile. Gin had a tendency to invade Sanji's space and say things to him that made Sanji remember how the man pursued him as a teenager, and this was embarrassing enough – Law's reaction to it only made things worse. "And he would have approached me in person, not from a distance."

"You're right. he trips over his own tongue if he sees you."

"Don't talk about it so casually!"

"Well, it's true. Anyway, let's go. I'm tired."

"You just woke up!"

"Sanji, it's almost noon. You had plans to meet with Zeff, today," Chopper reminded him. "I'll order the Uber."

"Mosshead, do you want a ride with us to meet the old man? He wants to talk about the other chapters outside of the syndicates," Sanji said to Zoro. "Law said he'd meet us there later."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. But he had Penguin and Bepo with him."

"Is Kid still mad about us using his car, that one time?" Zoro snickered.

Sanji chuckled, gathering up his books while Chopper finished his hot chocolate. "I feel bad. He really liked that car."

"Yeah, I'll go. Does Luffy know about this?"

Sanji gave him an exasperated expression. "Does Luffy even care about anything other than putting someone on the street? Who do you think's really in charge of this situation? _Us_. Not him."

Zoro shrugged a shoulder, halving the last cookie with Chopper.

: :

Later that evening, Sanji had just finished setting the table, his mind heavy with various thoughts going in different directions when the front door opened and Penguin and Bepo spilled into the front hall with curses and awkward grunts. A moment later, Law tripped over them, and Chopper raced up to them with a light gasp, certain that they were being attacked.

"Sit. _Stay_ ," Law told him firmly, kicking the door shut.

"I'm not a dog!" Chopper shouted indignantly.

"I found you the perfect gift, today," Law said, unmoving from Bepo's back as Penguin struggled underneath their weight, clutching at the carpet while Bepo fretted, trying to move in such a way that he wouldn't upset the man on his back. After pulling it out from his jacket, he tossed it to Chopper. "Go put it on."

"This is a choke chain," Chopper stated flatly.

"For all the times Sanji needs to walk you, and you get disobedient."

"This is a choke chain for _humans_."

"Oh, whoops, wait a minute…here. This is yours. Give that one to Sanji."

"Sanji doesn't want it!" Sanji snarled from the dining room, red faced.

"SENPAI GET OFF!" Penguin shouted.

Chopper looked at the studded dog collar, and read the tags. It had 'Momo' typed in, as well as the phone number to the nearest Animal Control shelter. He then glared at the man as he rolled off Bepo, allowing the bear to get off of Penguin.

Law approached Sanji, removing his jacket. Sanji tried not to look at him, but there was something about a man that came home looking physically spent in a grand battle that made him weak in the knees. Or maybe it was just the older man himself. Whichever it was, he didn't want to lose his resolve just because Law's hairline looked sweaty from whatever it was he was doing, or seeing the faint smudge of smoke and dirt on slightly reddened cheeks from physical effort, or smelling those goddamn pheromones that came from - !

"Go take a shower," he growled.

"Do I offend?" Law asked him, looking at him with a leer. With Sanji's cream sweater – the one that showed off his collarbone and the muscles of his neck – Law wanted to put his hands on him just to see his handiwork in all the wrong places. The man was so pristine next to his slovenly Fight Club appearance that he would willingly come back to a cold plate after being served up some housewife supreme in their bedroom.

Sanji was not going to express to him his thoughts on the matter, not when the others were nearby laughing and joking about Chopper's new collar and tags. He figured he'd do so later, giving him a look that made Law instantly retract his earlier intentions with that promise.

"Change of subject."

"We had a productive day, today. Did you get your assignments finished?"

"Yes. _Ass_. What was that about?" Sanji asked, gesturing at the doorway.

"We were being shot at, and he felt this was the safest way to evade certain death," Penguin complained, ripping off his hat and tossing it near the couch. His jacket was disposed of in the same manner. Sanji stopped what he was doing and stared at him. Then stared at Bepo as Bepo did the same thing – Law tossed his jacket in the pile, all of them looking satisfied at the setup on the table.

All of them were dirty, obviously emerging from some grand battle, and one of them smelled like heavy smoke. Someone was tracking in mud, and another looked like he had rolled around in some type of flower bush. Penguin had left a couple of grenades and a belt-fed rapid fire machine gun in the hallway. Sanji's earlier cleaning efforts were destroyed. Sanji tried not to get pissed right away, but he knew it reflected on his face.

"All of you jackasses go and put your shit away properly, wash up, and then come back to the table like manageable human beings," Sanji snarled. "At your age, you should know better!"

"Your wife's mean," Penguin whispered to Law, following Bepo to the bathroom.

"Good thing I found that choke chain," Law retorted.

"I don't need to know about that kind of thing, senpai!"

Once everyone was seated at the table, Sanji removing Law's hat and forcing Penguin's elbows off the table, Law said, "Our purpose today was to go out and follow up on recent reports on the older heads plotting on removing the younger through the use of the bakery. We found out enough information to see that 20 requests had been made, but because the head baker feels like he can't trust Luffy, he's yet to make a proper recommendation on this situation. The more trouble caused, the bigger the pile up. The bakery is growing impatient. Because Don Krieg is the eldest of the heads, we went to him for our information. Of course, as you can see, he didn't appreciate us showing up. Your admirer was especially vehement that we have words, and I'm afraid I had to put him down."

"I'm not worried about Gin. He'll get back up and find another way to piss you off. Our subject was the bakery, as well. All those phone calls I overhead Zeff call in now make sense, and I'm horrified by how much I knew before I actually knew about it," Sanji said, sitting down. He slapped the man's hand away from his leg when he felt it creeping over him underneath the table. "We arranged for a more formal meeting on the twenty-first. Gives us enough time to educate Luffy on what it means."

"I know almost nothing about the bakery, only what it stands for," Law confessed, his mouth full. "It's that much of a secret."

"You can't come with me," Sanji said, taking a tentative bite of his food, and finding it tolerable. "It's only because of us as – but it does serve a conflict. With my associations, the head baker was almost reluctant to talk, but Zeff called in a recommendation. We've got a lot of work to do as it comes down to earning their confidence."

Law said nothing for a few moments, Sanji noticing that Penguin was sneaking glances at him. Bepo looked nervous, looking down at his plate with a tentative dig of his fork.

Then Law shrugged, and both of them relaxed.

"You were thinking about it, weren't you?" Sanji asked him. "Interfering."

"It makes sense that I don't," Law said carefully. "Considering your position, and mine – we're not affiliated with any of the nimrods running the circles, and we're not a part of your group, either. We're neutral. _Invasive_ when necessary."

"Contradiction."

"It only matters if it's important to us," Law corrected.

Watching him for anything other than what he was saying, Sanji glanced at the other two for any reactions, and noticed that Bepo still looked nervous. Penguin was expressionless. Then he looked back at Law, and the man was studying him. A moment later, Bepo gave a light gasp, and he resumed eating with vigor.

Sanji's lips tightened.

" _Why_ ," he asked. "Our position is separate from yours. There's no need to interfere."

"There really isn't. All I'm saying at this moment is if there is nothing of interest regarding mine or me, then I have no interest in the subject. But on a personal note, I am curious as to how the bakery operates."

"I'm not telling you anything but what I can talk about. As I see it, while you are in a neutral position, and I am in a neutral position, you tend to toe the boundaries when it comes to me and my business. This one time I truly want you to keep your nose where it belongs, you need to abide by it."

"But I feel that, on a side note, I should be told about some things, because, while I know I'm on the no-delivery list, I feel I should know enough in order to interfere if I feel threatened or if I feel me or mine is threated. You're in an interesting position. Your grandfather created this wheel. He helped instate the bakery. He helped pick the bakers. The head baker is a friend of his, and when he passed the job onto his son, Zeff helped train him. For the head baker to not have any confidence in you and the other members of your crew suggests a hard battle ahead of you. It's all up to you to approve of the requests being made, and to help balance out this world that Zeff created."

"I…understand. It's a huge web," Sanji said slowly.

"The question is, can you allow others to kill others in order to maintain balance amongst the heads? Can you sign off on the life of someone you don't even know, and maybe someone that you do know?"

"To a certain degree, I can," Sanji mumbled. "But it's not just me making those decisions."

"When Corazon entered the program, he enforced my no-delivery status. Doffy's tried for years to have a cake delivered to my door, but due to the rules regarding family members, his request has been denied numerous times."

"Did he tell you this?" Penguin asked curiously.

"To my face, and through text every time he's made an attempt."

"I understand that you're curious about this aspect, but in reality, you've got to follow the rules, too. You might not be associated with any head position of a syndicate yourself, but you're considerably involved when it suits you, so you've got to follow rules, too," Sanji said.

Law looked off to the side for a few moments, Penguin glancing at him from the side of his eye. Bepo stopped eating. Sanji scowled at him, waiting for him to continue arguing, lowering his fork as the silence built.

Then Law picked at his food. "Mm. _Head_."

Penguin kicked him underneath the table.

"Our groups need to remain neutral with each other," Sanji insisted. "In order for the Strawhats to keep their status and earn some respect, we can't pick favorites."

"How's that going for you, anyway? Especially after last week's confrontation between Doffy and Crocodile over the casino entertainment from L.A? The other heads weren't so satisfied with your group's actions, were they?"

Sanji stuffed food into his mouth so he didn't have to answer.

"All I'm saying, is if I feel certain things are in danger of failing, I have the right to step in and interfere."

"I don't feel that's necessary, considering that I refuse – "

"After all, the head of the Strawhat crew and I formed an alliance before you left, and, technically, we haven't quit each other just yet. Whatever the head of the Strawhat crew feels he needs to be involved in, automatically, as are we," Law said smugly.

"There are _rules_ , you bastard. To this supposed alliance."

"We haven't gone over them. And the head of the Strawhat crew hasn't been unhappy with any of my efforts. In fact, he praises them. In fact, we're friends. _In fact_ , he has me on speed dial, so whenever he feels the need to tell me anything, you can bet I'm the first one he texts," Law said.

"I've seen you delete every message he sends you without you reading them."

"I understand that you're in a position of neutrality," Law said slowly. "But you've got a lot of work put out for you. Especially when it comes to ensuring that syndicate head follows the rules, and keep those younger bastards in line, and earning the respect and confidence of the older heads. Have you made any head way in that, by the way?"

"Could you stop saying 'head'?" Penguin asked him low.

"Shh, the adults are speaking."

Sanji drummed his fingers atop of the table, fork lowered to his plate. "Look, I understand that you think you're being helpful. But you're being a pain in the ass when I'm trying to take my own steps out into the world without you interfering and doing for me what you think is best for me."

"I thought we agreed we would not speak of pains in the asses in front of the children."

"Yes, please, for the love of God," Penguin muttered, Bepo and Chopper looking concerned.

"You know what I meant!"

"Look, okay, let's make a deal," Law said, fingers in a steeple position against his chin. "I will give you your space. But the moment I feel as if I need to step in because someone is offended, or feels offended, or even looks at you with any sort of offended action because you're a stubborn piece of shit, then the deals off."

"Let's go over the list of possible things that you might even consider offensive."

"I'm eating right now, I don't want to talk about it."

"Because you'll make shit up! If you even hear about someone even looking at me a second time, you'll make shit up in your head!"

"Untrue, since most of the time, when they're looking at you a second time, it's obviously with ill intentions."

"I need space! I can't – I don't want to be behind someone that thinks they can fight my battles for me!"

"I understand what you're saying, but it's not only me that feels a certain way."

"I hate that you all breathe down the back of my neck! I feel fucking smothered!"

"It's unfortunate that you feel that way."

With a frustrated exhale, knowing he was getting nowhere with the other man, Sanji rubbed his forehead. Chopper looked at him with concern, uncomfortable with the tension. He was afraid Law would take his frustrations out on him, again. He cleared his throat and said quickly, "We saw a white bird, today. He bought us a drink and cookies."

"A white bird?" Bepo asked cautiously.

"It was wearing a tie! And it talked to us. It had nice things to say to Sanji."

Sanji noted, with exasperation, the pointed look Law gave him.

"A talking bird? How peculiar," Bepo said wondrously. "I wish I could have seen it!"

"Right?"

"Where was its master?" Law asked, resuming eating.

"Not every animal has a 'master' jerk," Chopper said.

Law paused in mid-chew, then used his fork to vault a piece of roast beef in his direction. "Sanji, your pet is baring its teeth, again."

"Don't play with your food!" Sanji snarled at him.

"Where were you guys?" Penguin asked curiously.

Chopper named off the shop, then added, "But I admit, I smelled its shampoo, before. It was a masculine product."

"Interesting," Law said tightly. "A talking bird wearing a tie with a masculine scented shampoo. _Highly_ unusual."

"Okay, look, I was hoping to be quiet about the entire thing, considering it's not any of my business, but Sanji has a point," Penguin interrupted, wiping his mouth. "You guys smother him, senpai. He can't even go to the parking lot without having you or Chopper walking him to meet somebody, like a grade school kid. In the grocery store, Shachi and I have to follow him everywhere. And if you aren't with him, you're texting somebody else to take your spot until you can get back."

Law gave him a look that could have curdled steel.

"You need to let up. One bad thing happened, yeah, but we had a good outcome. He's here in front of us, alive, and not bones from the harbor."

Sanji beamed at Penguin, who started to regret speaking up as Law continued to stare at him. "Thank you! Extra dessert for you, today!"

Sanji then glared at Law.

Law used his fork to point, and Penguin cringed, thinking he was the one to be stabbed. "Look – back to when I said I will give you this chance before I step in. I will give you _one_ chance. End of subject."

Sanji refused to believe it was that easy. He watched him eat for a couple of moments, then said cautiously, "Three chances."

"Why three?"

"Because one is unreasonable. _And_ ," he added loudly, as Law made to speak, "I've proven to you over and over again that I'm capable of handling myself. Luffy and the others are excellent at overcoming obstacles. And I'm not the same fighter I was back then."

"But – "

" _But_ I need three chances because as we're fighting for our respect amongst the heads, there's going to be a lot of interference. I ask that you understand my position, fighting and defending the life and integrity of my friends, and myself."

For a few moments, Law considered the options before him.

Then he gave a reluctant shrug. "Fine. Three chances is an agreeable number. But the moment I feel as if your life is threatened in anyway, then I ask that you let it happen."

"But you can mean that for many things, so we need to negotiate a list of reasonable threats that you must ignore."

"Fine. But later."

Sanji smiled brightly at him, causing the man to fumble with his drink.

Penguin was impressed. He gave Bepo a look over Law's back, now knowing who to talk to if he ever needed something that required the man's approval.

After dinner, as Sanji was cleaning up, Chopper ventured to him with cautious action. Law was taking a shower, and Bepo and Penguin had left half an hour earlier. Sanji looked down at him with a smile, saying, "Did you want an extra serving of dessert? I made plenty."

"Um, well…truth to tell, I'm a little concerned," Chopper said quietly. "I understand that your reasoning to be with this man is your own, but I truly feel that you're in a bad spot."

"Why?" Sanji asked, amused as he crouched to his level. "Yeah, he's an ass, but I honestly feel good with where I am."

"It's the way he treats you! You can't make your own decisions! When you're arguing, he puts his hands on you and hurts you, and – hearing you cry is horrible!"

Sanji's face and neck reddened. Mortified, he straightened up, Chopper looking at him with distress.

"We definitely need a bigger place," he mumbled to himself. "Look, it's not what you think, okay? Um…remember…well…look. There is nothing wrong with us. He's not – yeah, he's an ass, he says things to be an ass and he definitely puts up a show so that everyone doesn't forget that he's an ass. But in reality, he's…he's everything I need, okay? I might say all these things, but I can't – I need him, too. And the things we do in the bedroom? I'm in no danger. Nothing bad is happening. I feel that when the door shuts, you just…I'll buy you headphones."

"But when I try to come in - !"

"DON'T. Please don't. Remember when Shachi tried to come home early that one time? A couple of weeks back? And you found him curled up in a ball in the laundry room?"

"Yes!"

"There was a good reason for that. But it didn't mean i was being hurt in any way. I – uh…I don't how to…well, let's just say, when two adults like each other very much, they want to show each other how much – "

"I've heard you two say 'I love you', before, so…isn't that enough?"

"There's other things we do to express it. And when we want to express it another way, we go into the other room. So…when…uh…when you hear me…um, _crying_ …or him crying…it's…that's all we're doing. Okay?"

"Okay," Chopper said, unconvinced. "But when you come back out with bruises, I just feel that maybe…well, he shouldn't hurt you like that."

"I promise, you won't see anymore of that," Sanji said, self consciously touching his neck. "So, uh, tonight, I …I'll find you headphones, okay? You can listen to music."

"Like Shachi does when he spends the night?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. This is so embarrassing."

"What is?" Law asked, walking into the kitchen with a frown, seeing how flustered Sanji was.

Chopper turned to look at him, scowling at him suspiciously. "The next time I hear him crying in the bedroom, I will make you regret your decision to put your hands on him."

With an amused expression, Law bent at the knees to address him, watching those antlers carefully. "Then I'll just have to be quieter about it, won't i? Where's that choke collar I brought home?"

"Veto'd," Sanji commented, kicking him away from Chopper.

: :

Once Sanji left Chopper to his music and a nightlight, he shut that door and eagerly made his way to their bedroom. He heard Law talking on his phone in the living room, so Sanji quickly went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, hastily picking up the clothes that were discarded on the floor. Then he reached for the still moist towel hanging up nearby, and inhaled deeply of the scent left behind on it. He didn't know whether it was just the changing of weather, the comfort he felt in this relationship or just straight up hormones, but he had been pretty horny, lately. Every time the older man attacked him – which probably explained Chopper's concern over such 'violence' – Sanji felt he wasn't getting enough.

Maybe it was just the restlessness he felt in his life; maybe it was the satisfaction he found in the acts; maybe it was just because they hadn't gone 'all the way' again. But one thing was for certain, he couldn't wait for them to have their moments alone. He rinsed his mouth out and put his toothbrush away, coming out from the bathroom to wait for the other man to come back to the bedroom.

He removed his socks and slippers, setting them aside, nervously anticipating his return. Usually Law was the aggressor in the bedroom, but Sanji had his moments – sitting there thinking about it, he could see himself as a teenager, waiting with eager anticipation for the next time Law came to visit him at night. He felt his shoulders cringe – he felt the very same way now as he did back then.

Thinking about the way Law looked when he came in earlier made it difficult for Sanji to concentrate. He wished he had a chance to pounce on him then – tasting the salt of his dirty sweat and feeling his hot form against him, with his hair stiff under Sanji's fingers, and – just knowing that the man was clean and smelled like his favorite soap, with clean hair and softly scented skin –

He glared at the doorway with frustration, hearing the low conversation in the other room. He jiggled his knee restlessly, gripping the edge of the bed with both hands. He figured that Law was only talking to Corazon, and exhaled slowly. Glancing at his phone nearby, he then stood up from the bed and peered out from the doorway, looking down the hall at the other man. He couldn't see him, so he figured he was either in the kitchen or the living room, near the sliding doors. He looked over at the room Chopper used – his own childhood room – and bit his lip. Chopper _must_ be asleep at this time.

He left the room and went looking for Law, finding him doodling on some fast food flyers on the kitchen counter that were often left hanging from their front door, looking exasperated. Sanji frowned at him, wondering what was so important about this phone call that he wasn't coming to bed, so he sidled up next to him. He could hear Corazon talking about some documents he'd found in some room in the mansion he shared with his brother, and reached out to hug Law from the side, the man giving him a curious look.

With a meaningful one of his own, Sanji pressed up against him, knowing that he could feel exactly why he was waiting impatiently for him. For a moment Law looked startled, then his arm shifted out and beyond Sanji's reach as Sanji leaned over to gently bite his shoulder, his hands moving underneath his shirt. Then he scowled as Law produced a knife and held it between them, as if intending on defending himself from Sanji's advances. Sanji slapped it out of his hand, the weapon clattering noisily on the counter.

"It wasn't even the right year! So now I have to call up the guy we bought it from, and then that's going to be a huge hassle because he moved so much that not even Pica can find him!" Sanji heard Corazon complain, Law switching his phone from one ear to the other to ruffle Sanji's hair. Sanji hit his hand away, then leaned in again, carefully kissing his neck, then biting gently, licking as Corazon lamented how hard it was to find a Russian in Africa.

Law pulled away from Sanji with a hand over his chest, looking as wounded as a damsel in distress. Sanji growled and pushed him up against the counter, wrapping his arms around his waist, pressing up against one thigh so he could seek some friction. Maintaining eye contact, he found and guided Law's free hand to his ass, forcing the man to grip him there. Satisfied with what he was doing, he then slipped his hands back underneath his shirt, fingers moving over warm flesh with anxious action. Law just watched this with interest, phone slipping slightly from his hand as Corazon continued to complain.

Wanting him to get the idea of what he wanted, Sanji then twisted around, to press his ass up against Law's crotch. With slow, deliberate movement, he twisted his hips, feeling the other man respond to the action with reaching down and holding onto his waist with his free hand, pushing up against his ass. Restlessly, Sanji straightened up against him, reaching back with one hand to capture a handful of Law's thick black hair, to draw his face to his. He didn't kiss him, though, Corazon's voice from the phone still too clear – he licked the other man's bottom lip, still pushing up against him.

Law bent him over the counter, the phone away from his face, just so he could kiss the back of Sanji's neck, reach in front of him to stroke the bulge in his pants. When Sanji bucked against him, Law bit his neck, and Sanji made a soft breathy sound that made him clap shut his own mouth. He then bit down on his own arm to repress the noises that wanted to escape, feeling Law grind up against him. He wanted more stimulation. He could feel himself getting warmer and warmer, _needy_ , and he straightened up to look at the phone with a pointed expression.

"I must go, Cora," Law interrupted hastily. "I just received a Candy Crush request that I must respond to."

"Wha - ? But you can just delete – "

Law hung up quickly, tossing the phone aside as he grabbed Sanji's hips roughly, grinding up against him as Sanji reached back to hold onto him. Panting lightly, he said, "Bed. I need this. I've been waiting for you."

Law turned him around, pushing him up against the counter, Sanji reaching between them to find his nipples over his shirt, rubbing gently with his thumb until he could feel them harden under his touch. Law growled low, leg between his, lowering his head to lick and then lightly bite his ear. Sanji gave a soft noise, hands spreading over his chest, tilting his head back as Law's mouth traveled from his ear to his neck. Then Law's hands were in his hair, pulling Sanji's head back, exposing his throat to him. Sanji's hands shifted from his chest to his shoulders, intending on pushing him back so they could make their way to the bedroom.

Only Chopper gasped loudly with horror, and both of them hurriedly straightened away from each other, seeing the reindeer standing at the kitchen entrance, headphones around his neck.

"You're _eating_ him!" he shouted anxiously, looking at Sanji for wounds.

Red faced and embarrassed, Sanji shook his head as Law sighed in frustration. "No, no, it's not – what are you doing up? You're supposed to be sleeping!"

"Are you a vampire?" Chopper asked Law incredulously.

"I'm this close to having you join my army of undead," Law threatened him thickly, intending on doing so as Chopper gasped again, looking at him with utter horror.

"You -! _Monster_! Sanji!"

"Okay, okay, Chopper, _things_ – they're not what they look like, come here, let's get you back to bed," Sanji said, hastily pushing Law aside as he went to him.

"How can I _sleep_ after seeing that? He was going to eat you!" Chopper cried, teary eyed. "I was thirsty! I only wanted water! He was _biting_ you!"

"I'm perfectly fine! Tomorrow we'll talk about it, okay?" Sanji said, entirely humiliated at the reindeer's reaction. He heard Law muttering about new throw rugs as he went to retrieve his phone, and Sanji gave a disappointed heave of breath as he tried to walk with an uncomfortable erection, Chopper crying softly as he hobbled alongside him.

: :

"You'd think with his background, he'd know by now what's going on," Law muttered the next morning, bleary eyed and cranky as Sanji served him coffee. He looked the same; Chopper ended up sleeping between them, too distressed by what he'd seen, certain that his presence would stop the 'vampire' from attacking Sanji again. "And studies have shown that co-sleeping is dangerous. I'd end up smothering him as I rolled over in my sleep."

"That's regarding babies, not grown men deliberately smothering people in revenge," Sanji said, sitting next to him with his own cup. Now that the need was gone, he felt vaguely embarrassed by his wanton behavior. When he was in the moment, he didn't think twice about it – later on, he could only look back with embarrassment, wondering where that hungry came from. "What was Cora talking about, anyway?"

"His warranty for his Vita."

Sanji stared at him, unable to find the right expression for this. "You were on the phone for that long over a portable gaming device? When you could've been in bed by then, with _our door locked_?"

"I had no idea you were hot and ready. What was that about, anyway? Admittedly, when you came at me with your predatory advances, I was a little timid."

"It was…" Embarrassed, Sanji couldn't quite say anything about the reasoning. He felt that heat return, and he was uncomfortable expressing that sort of explanation when Law was looking at him for an answer. "Do I need a reason for wanting anything from you?"

"You're not usually – "

" _I know_ , okay? I'm shy. Figures when I want something, we're…" Sanji trailed off, feeling humiliated by the scene last night.

With a disappointed look of his own, Law sipped at his coffee. Then glared at Chopper as the reindeer walked into the room, climbing into his chair to look at the plate Sanji had set out for him. Then he looked across the table at Law, and glared at him.

Law glared back at him. "That does it, then. It's time I find an appropriate kennel for Momo."

"No cage can hold me, asshole."

"Will you be here today?" Sanji interrupted the threats being cast over the table. "Because I'd really like to get out, again. I have an assignment I'd like to finish."

Law looked away from Chopper to him with a stubborn frown. "Why can't you finish it here?"

"Because I feel like I'll go crazy here. I want to get out. I want to not feel like a goddamn prisoner. I would like…I would like some _space_ ," Sanji said carefully, looking at him. "I would like to go out by myself, and …be out on my own for an hour, or two."

Chopper looked at Law for a reaction, cup tilted to his lips as the silence stretched.

Then Sanji narrowed his eyes. "Why am I asking for your permission? I retract that. I'm going out _on my own_ , for an hour or two. Afterward, before class, I'd like to take Chopper to the Aquarium, and you're welcome to join us."

"I – "

"I won't take your refusal. This thing that we discussed last night, this is a part of it," Sanji said firmly.

"I'm allowed to ask where."

"A coffee shop."

"Not the same one as yesterday," he amended quickly, as Law opened his mouth to speak again, "because the talking bird thing wasn't…and I'd rather not be bothered. Another one. close to home. And I trust you to hold up to your end of the deal, otherwise, I'll find you something to do."

"I feel like you're threatening me in some way, but …I'll give you your two hours and your… _space_ ," Law repeated carefully, not liking the word. Feeling anxiety flit around his chest. He knew Sanji would never understand how it felt when he'd disappeared suddenly, for three years, leaving them all in a state of frozen time. But Law had given thought to Penguin's words; maybe having Sanji 'babysat' everywhere he went without him was a little smothering. "Hour and _half_."

"Hour and a half will work," Sanji agreed, smiling at him. He leaned over and kissed him, fingers over his jaw. "I love you. I get that you're a worrywart, but I'm feeling smothered."

"I don't have to like this at all, but…three chances. That's all you get. After that, it's the ball and chain," Law said tightly, hating the ugly feelings that made his gut twist and churn at the thought of not seeing the man again.

"Maybe you two can bond," Sanji said, pushing away from the table, eager to get his time away.

Chopper's mouth dropped open as Law looked over at him from across the table with a darkened expression. He put his cup aside and swallowed tightly. But after last night, he'd do this for Sanji – Sanji needed his space away from the villain. Resolve in place, Chopper narrowed his eyes at Law, hoof in front of him, twisting towards him in that 'I'm Watching You' expression. If anything, Law looked even more demonic, causing Chopper to cringe.

Both of them watched as Sanji gathered his things into a bag Shachi left behind, and Law scowled, looking him over. He didn't like the way Sanji's pants fit – they were too snug, they showed off too much. He didn't like the way the blue ribbed sweater fit over his slender upper torso, and he definitely didn't like the way it showed off his blue eyes, and complimented his blond hair.

"Don't make eye contact with anyone for more than three seconds," he said as Sanji slipped on his brown leather shoes. "Don't talk to any man that isn't wearing a uniform. Don't you _dare_ run off with anyone that isn't part of my crew or yours. Definitely DO _NOT_ RUN OFF WITH DOFFY if he sees you!"

"It'll be _fine_ , _I'll_ be fine, I have my phone!" Sanji reassured him, kissing him before taking off hastily, before Law could say or do anything else.

In the silence left behind, Chopper looked at Law again. The man looked rather distressed, which was unusual, considering that he was mostly biting sarcasm and controlling attitude. When he pulled out his phone, he forced himself to set it aside. Then glared at it, as if it were all its fault for Sanji's decision. Law must've forgotten that Chopper was there, because when he glanced at him, that expression left him quickly, and he was pushing away from the table.

"Now, it's only you and me," he said, a tight smile drawing over his lips, "And I'd confiscated pink temporary hair dye from those brats when they threatened to color Bepo. I think pink would look nice on you. As revenge for your interference last night, I'm going to color you from head to hoof."

Chopper screamed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

It was relaxing, at first. Sanji enjoyed the freedom of not having anyone he knew breathing down the back of his neck. None of their familiar faces were visible when he looked up, and he had all this time and concentration to himself, in a shop full of strangers much too interested in their own lives to bother with him. For twenty minutes, all he did was enjoy the space. Then the next ten was devoted to studying. Then, when he had a question, he looked up to ask someone for an answer and realized that he was alone. He couldn't look at a stranger and ask them a question regarding high school trigonometry. Then he'd have to explain why he was studying for his GED, and no one needed to know all that. He sat at his booth with a frown, staring at the problem that glared right back at him. He plugged in a few numbers on his calculator, but it didn't give him what he needed – a human response.

He stood up from his table and walked over to the counter, hearing the sounds of hard screams and accompanying riffs of guitars, drums; this was supposed to be music, Luffy told him. Something called death metal. He supposed it made sense why it was called 'death' metal, because it sounded like –

"BLACK LEG!" he heard his name bellowed fiercely from the doors as they opened, shattering upon impact against the doorframes. Sanji cringed in response because of the voice it belonged to. He carefully counted out his bills to pay for the tea he'd just bought, the baristas taking cover behind the counter as Eustass Kid approached him.

"I was just driving by," Kid growled, towering over him with a slightly reddening face. Sanji saw one of his old model cars rumbling at the sidewalk, where this 'music' came from. It caused pedestrians to stare with reaction, and others to appreciate the gleaming metal of the restored vehicle. He had no idea what year or type it was – just that it was a dark red with dark windows and shiny things on the tires.

"I have a problem with the way Strawhat dealt with my problem, last week," Kid snapped, and Sanji sipped at his tea as he tilted his head back and looked up into that angry face. He remembered that Kid and Arlong had an altercation involving territory, and Luffy went to talk to them both. Considering that Luffy had texted them, "Problem solved!" he had forgotten about it. He should've followed up on it. Kid looked pissed.

"So you think crying to me will fix things?" he asked, looking at the lack of space between them. Kid was dressed in some band shirt with tight leather pants, motorcycle boots, his red hair wild and held back by a pair of goggles. His wrists were covered with some type of bracelet – he smelled like smoke and cologne, and a faint tinge of alcohol.

"I think you need to go back and tell Strawhat that he's a fucking screw up! Thanks to him, Arlong got what he wanted! I got screwed! And not in the good way!"

"Luffy made his decision. Whatever it was, he declared the problem fixed. I can't do anything for you," Sanji said calmly. "Now, back the fuck up. You're stepping on my good shoes."

"Look, Strawhat may be the brawn of your little dumbass operations, but you and that weird chick with the hair are the more reasonable ones!" Kid snapped, finger in his face. "You either tell Arlong to go suck my balls and get off my territory, or I send you back to Law a lot dirtier than when you left him. Where is he, by the way? Is he taking a shit, or something? I can wait, if that's so. I'll talk to _him_ , instead, seeing as you're incapable of doing anything by yourself. I should've spoken to the man of the relationship in the first place."

Sanji lowered his tea, automatically stiffening as Kid looked around him, scanning the faces of those watching with terrified expressions. Admittedly, there were many people afraid of Kid – the man was nearly seven feet tall, and he tended to express himself with rage acts, shouts, and his manipulation of metal. But Sanji wasn't one of these people. He held his tea to the side and asked tightly, "You care to repeat what you just said? Because it sounded to me that you don't respect me."

"I don't! Hey, thanks to you, I found another Impala to replace the one you broke! _Asshole_ ," Kid added, arms crossing over his broad chest as he glared down at the smaller man. "Hell, if you wanted to learn how to drive, use someone else's shit! Or ask me, _nicely_. I wouldn't have minded if you wanted to handle a _real_ stick shift."

The innuendo flew over Sanji's head. Stepping up to him, free hand allowing him to push on that hard chest of his with a finger, he snapped, "If you've got something to say, you don't have the right to come into a place, fuck it up because you're on the fucking rag, and expect me to treat you any differently than you're treating me. If you want some fucking respect, you come in and treat me with the same sort of respect that you want for yourself."

Not one to back down in the slightest, Kid lowered his upper torso to sneer, "Then we got an understanding, don't we? If I tell ya the only way I'll accept your goddamn apology is if you let me talk to your man, then –"

His head snapped back suddenly, never seeing the blow until it actually connected with him. It was enough to leave him stunned, seeing white stars for a moment until his jaw could tell him that it was still there. He blinked a few times, stepping back – it took a couple of steps to actually place a foot where he wanted it to go, to keep his upper half from falling backward, but once he straightened and his thoughts returned to him in a coherent manner, he stood there for a few moments to sort it out.

"Sorry," Sanji said gruffly, sipping at his tea again. "My foot slipped. What were you saying?"

Kid stood quietly as the music from his car screamed. Then he focused on him, looking from him to the floor, taking in the sight of Sanji's brown leather shoes. Then back to him.

"Did you just _kick_ me?" he asked.

"Yeah. I did."

Kid was silent for a few seconds, looking at his feet, then his head again. "So, your _foot_ touched my chin. From there."

"My heel, actually."

Kid stared at him, his cheeks reddening slightly. Sanji lowered his cup with a disgusted look.

"I didn't kick you in the nose, I kicked you in the _jaw_. So why is your _nose_ bleeding?" he snapped.

Kid started to reach for him, but all it took was Sanji a lean back, to jump up and swat that hand away with one foot, and follow it with a whip of his other leg, to smash his other foot into the side of Kid's face and have him stumbling, crashing into a table nearby. Patrons got up hastily and moved away as cups, food, and napkin dispensers went flying. Once he caught himself, Kid straightened over the table and looked at Sanji once more with that semi-awestruck expression. He already had the reddened imprint of the top of Sanji's shoe forming over one pale cheek and temple.

He held his hands out in plaintive surrender. "Look. _Okay_. Stop doing that. It's…fucking with my head how flexible you are, and I'm brutally failing at this whole intimidation thing, right now."

Sanji blinked, unsure of why that even mattered at the moment, Kid's eyes looking a little glassy – not from injury, but from whatever it was he was thinking at that moment.

"I'm going to go, now. I'll find Strawhat and talk to him myself," Kid said, wiping his nose with his forearm, leaving a streak of blood on that pale limb. Then he turned and walked off, leaving Sanji to stand there in total confusion, unable to understand what just happened. In a screech of tires and smoke, Kid drove off, taking his horrible music with him. Everyone in the shop began to move again, cautiously looking at the damage the man had caused with his entrance, to him.

He looked back at the baristas, figuring his hour and a half were up. If Kid chose to come back with his entourage, Sanji was more than willing to fight them all. But then that would threaten his position because as enforcer, fighting with one syndicate head would call for cause of the others crying out in protest over the treatment. It would snowball into another direction. He blamed his impulses for this encounter, quite aware that he'd only reacted because of Kid's infatuation with Law. The guy would not give up on him.

He hastily helped clean up the tables that Kid knocked over, and then went and gathered his things. As he made to leave, the pigeon from yesterday landed on the booth wall next to him, fluttering its wings.

"Impressive," it said, Sanji looking around once more for the bird's owner. "For someone with no powers."

"I get by. Are you following me?" he asked suspiciously, hiking up his bag.

"Yes," the bird answered, fluttering its wings for a moment before a barista cleared her throat nervously, holding up one of the shop's wrapped sandwiches. "To take care of those calories you wasted on that imbecile."

Sanji took it with a shrug – he'd give it to Chopper when he got home. "Thanks. And stop following me."

"See you later!" the bird cooed, then fluttered away, disappearing out the ruined doors. Sanji frowned in its direction, then left the coffee shop, regretting his impulses with Kid. He figured maybe the reasoning behind it was the denied action the night before – he was hungry for _something_ , and needed to find it elsewhere. It made sense.

: :

Bonney examined her long, pointed nails as her girls feasted around them. The iHop was cramped with their presence – her girls were hungry, and while they roughly handled the menu with orders that the workers hurried to fix properly for them, she was sitting at the back booth with Kid sprawled out on the table in front of her. he had ice wrapped up in some napkins sitting over his nose, and around him were plates with various levels of content. Bonnie was feasting herself, and she shook her pink head because she was amazed at Kid's hardcore fascination with both Law and Sanji.

He'd confessed to 'sneaking a peek' on them during playtime once before, ad after that, Kid had been dreaming of a threesome ever since. It made matters worse that he thought the sun and moon rose and fell on Law, whom Kid fell in love with first sight. Kid had reasoned that if he couldn't just have Law, he'd settle for Sanji tagging along with them. It amused her, the tales he had for 'their' future, so she went with it.

"Straight up and down, _no_ space," he said, still in awe. He reached out, grabbing his own leg, and awkwardly tried to pull it towards his waist. "If he could do that…all I thought at that moment was how my husband would just…annihilate him."

Bonney snickered, brushing her pink hair from her face. She was wearing a bright pink prom dress, with Converse sneakers that she'd written 'cunt' all over, in glittery ink. On her lap was one of her friends, a beautiful woman with auburn curls, chocolate skin and contrasting pink prom dress that was mostly tulle and straps. Kid looked at them suspiciously, seeing that they kept _touching_ each other, giving secretive smiles as they did so. Bonney stopped chewing on a piece of sausage, giving Kid a look.

"When was the last time you saw your boy?" she asked curiously. "He hasn't been out and about for some time."

"It's been too long! I'm hoping he didn't let himself get fat since Blackleg came back," Kid grumbled. "Not that I'd find him unattractive, I just…the thought of him settling down with that kid just…it needs to be my turn. When will it be my turn?"

"Honey, you need to be patient! Blackleg's a hit amongst those guys, he's not going to be tied down for that long," Bonney said, reaching for another plate while the waitress brought over a few more, looking at her with a disbelieving expression. Kid hadn't eaten anything, but Bonney had cleared out several plates on her own, and was still waiting for more. "He's cute and precious, and if Gin gets his way, he's going to seduce him right off his cute little feet."

"Hell with that. Fucking Krieg's whore. I don't know, I get kinda mad thinking about it. Like, hey, I'm fine sharing? As long as it's with him. there's a rare sort of beauty in men, and - !"

"Bae," Bonney interrupted firmly, narrowing her eyes. "Look. Cute as he is, he's young. He's _beautiful_. And Law, he's the same. They're going to get tired of each other, soon, after boiling in each other's glory, and they're going to get restless. Especially Blackleg. From what it sounds like, all he had was Law's dick – he's going to be curious about what _other_ sorts of dick are out there! And when that happens, that's when you charge in!"

"Eh, you think so?" Kid asked hopefully, removing the ice from his nose and sitting up.

Bonney looked at him for a bit, then said, "I thought you said he kicked you in the jaw, not the nose?"

"Oh, hell, I was just…lost in thought."

"You're such a fucking goober!" she laughed when he wiped his nose on a napkin, knocking over some plates to do so. "Put your damn dick away until it actually happens!"

"Okay, cool, look – enough of this! I was just feeling extra sensitive because I haven't seen him in a while, and Blackleg really put me off, today, getting in my face like that. I'm good." He then sat at the edge of the table, hollering, "Hey! Where's my fucking booze?"

"Let's get wasted!" Bonney exclaimed, lighting up a cigarette. "And go to prom! You been to prom, Kid?"

"Fuck no. Why?"

"Well, you're going, now! We're going to prom!"

: :

That evening, after convincing Chopper to sleep in his own room – with the promise of leaving the doors open – Sanji returned to the bedroom, seeing that Law was reading something on his phone. He felt that hunger come back, his skin warming with need and heat pooling in places he'd rather them not to – but he really needed to pounce on him, soon. Law kept his physique sharp and strong with whatever it was he did – Sanji suspected he worked out somewhere just to maintain that build, and sparred with somebody to keep his swordwork up to date – so seeing him lounging casually on the bed with just his sleep pants really did something to Sanji's self control.

Oblivious to Sanji's expression, Law looked to ask Sanji something, frowning, but then he caught himself and looked back at the device with a noticeable effort.

"What?" Sanji asked, looking at him suspiciously, walking up to the bed with nervously fiddling fingers.

"Did you know Bonney and Kid are tearing up downtown, terrorizing the local prom dances?

"Why would they target kids…?"

"To recruit them. Are you aware that the ranking system is still in place?"

"No. Should I - ?"

"It looks like Robin and Zoro are on the scene. _Sit_."

Reluctantly, Sanji followed his order, the thoughts of the bird still on his mind. "This is complicated. Maybe I should put off going back to class, and focus on this instead – "

"No. There are five of you, and if Zeff was able to do this on his own, then you'll figure out as a group to do better. Besides, there's still the matter of last night we need to resolve," he added, tossing his phone aside and reaching for him.

"The door's open," Sanji reminded him, leaning away from his grasp.

With a scowl over his shoulder, Law relaxed back against the bed. Both of them wore frustrated expressions as they sat in silence. Sanji left the mattress and ventured towards the bathroom with a frown before he paused and said, "I'm going to take a bath."

"Shower's faster," Law muttered, pouting as he looked at his fingernails.

"I'm going to _take_ a _bath_ ," Sanji repeated himself slowly, enunciating the task deliberately.

Once he realized the intention, Law brightened for a moment, but didn't react obviously. "Fine. _Take_ _your time_ ," he said, just slightly forced.

Satisfied that he understood, Sanji retrieved some clothes from the dresser nearby, and walked into the bathroom to run some water. He hastily brushed his teeth, looking at himself in the mirror, then undressed as he spit into the sink. He dumped some bath oil into the water, then searched the cabinets for a specific item, rinsing his mouth out between actions. He then lit the candle he found near the towels, and set it near the tub's edge, satisfied for some sort of romanticism in the setting. He cleared his throat noisily before turning off the light, and adjusting the water to run a little slower, still creating a lot of noise.

Before he knew it, Law was in the bathroom with him, hastily trying to step out of his pants. Both of them reached for each other, kissing hard, touching as much flesh as they possibly could. Satisfied at the feel of the other man's naked body against his, Sanji hugged him close, making small noises as he felt he couldn't get enough of Law's hands on his body, at the feel of Law's hardening dick against his stomach. The man roughly pushed him against the counter, his mouth moving fiercely over his. Taking his tongue, sucking hard, reaching between them to stroke Sanji's cock with firm strokes. Sanji pulled away with a short gasp, fingers in Law's hair, pulling hard as he pushed against him.

Law's mouth moved from his to his neck, and Sanji bucked him away so that he could have space to move from the counter, to crouch on the floor before him. He took his dick into his mouth with a short gulp, nearly gagging as the organ filled his mouth, touched his throat. But he hummed and closed his eyes with satisfaction, tasting salty skin and the sweet taste of his pre-cum. Feeling Law's fingers in his hair, hearing his heavy breathing, Sanji bobbed his head, trying to take in as much as he could. His jaw stretched to accommodate the girth, his tongue moving in practiced action. Once he had a rhythm established, he released one hand from Law's dick to touch his thighs, to play with his balls. Hearing the man's quiet moans made him eager to do more, pulling his head back to suck on the tip, play with the slit with his tongue. Then take him in again, swallowing.

After a few moments, he opened his eyes to look up at Law, saying huskily, "Do me. I need it."

"Now?" Law asked with slight uncertainty, Sanji grabbing at him to pull him down to the floor with him.

"No, next year! _Yes_! Now! I need it, I need _something_ ," Sanji said, pushing up against him with desperate action, reaching between them to stroke himself. "Grab that stuff on the counter."

Seeing the lube there, Law reached for it, feeling a little timid. But Sanji was insistent, and he had a desperate look to his face he hadn't seen before, so Law wasn't going to tell him 'no' at this point. He did feel nervous, thinking about last time. But as he dumped lube on his hand, watching Sanji stroke himself as he watched him, he started to feel a little confident about things.

Then he resolved to give him what he asked for, because this was no time to be timid or uncertain. He made to stretch him, fingers pushing up gently against Sanji's ass, to venture towards his opening when Sanji reached for him, shaking his head.

"No, hurry up, before someone realizes," he said shakily, pushing up against him.

They had a track record. Law reluctantly had to admit that if they didn't take the chance now, then someone would come along and – so he hastily rubbed lube onto himself, Sanji adjusting himself on the floor to fit against him. He had his hands out, stretched to hold onto Law's shoulders as his knees trembled against his sides.

With a bite of his lip, Law guided himself against Sanji. Then hesitated, because he had such a small hole, and his dick was –

Sanji pushed himself onto him, practically impaling his ass onto his dick, and then froze. Law looked at him with horror, freezing at the same moment, watching as Sanji lost all the blood in his face and neck, and Law had to reach out and steady himself as Sanji's eyes started to flutter, and his arms dropped, and it was a good thing they were on the floor already because once he fainted, he didn't have to drop that hard.

In the tub many minutes later, Sanji sullenly stared up at the ceiling while Law frowned at the closed door, the candle flickering with light sparks on its wooden wick. Both of them were fitted in the full tub, and both of them were miserable. Sanji refused to move. He was utterly mortified that he'd fainted. He was intensely let down by his own actions. He felt incredibly stupid for rushing such a delicate scene and paying for it – horribly, the sting would _just not stop_ – and he felt like crying.

"Do we just suck at sex?" he asked, voice wobbly.

"At least we're in it together, right?" Law answered, just as dully. "I mean, we had good intentions."

"We're cursed."

"Not that bad. At least…things could be worse."

Sanji couldn't imagine that there were worst things. He covered his face with both hands.

"Look," Law said, sitting up slightly, the water spilling over the edge as he noticed Sanji's behavior, eager to stop it before it even started. He seriously had no defenses against Sanji's vulnerabilities. "When you – when you feel better, I'll rent us a room somewhere. Then we can take it nice and slow, no interruptions. It'll be a nice place, not a motel 6, or something like that. We'll have the evening to ourselves. I find a babysitter for the dog."

"Like a date?" Sanji asked, sniffling, perking up at the thought.

"Yeah, yeah. A date. We'll do the whole thing, okay? Dinner, movie, that sort of thing, whatever you do on a date. Then the hotel."

"Did you ever go on a date, before?"

"No, it was always the back of a car or a hotel or the bathroom, remember? Like girls were interested in who I was, it was only about sex," Law grumbled, irritated at his past. He rested an elbow at the edge of the tub, reaching up to play with Sanji's hair.

Sanji wiped his nose. "Aquarium, dinner, then the hotel."

"If that's what you want."

He looked back at him with a pleased smile, Law happy that he'd averted the waterworks. "Okay. You promised. Saturday, then."

"You sure? You'll be okay by then?" Law asked with uncertainty, wincing. Even though Sanji had been hurt, he definitely felt the other end of it. It wasn't a feeling that went away so easy, especially with the resulting effects afterward.

" _Yes_! Yes I'll be fine. I'm so stupid. I just…it doesn't…"

"I know, I know," Law said, reaching out to hug him close to his chest, the water shifting noisily with their actions. Sanji laid back against him, wiping his face with his wet hands. Then he laid there and looked up at the ceiling and found himself smiling. He loved this man so much. _Almost_ everything was perfect between them.

: :

The next day, he sat with his head in his hands near the water canal. He had not expected this sort of pain – he didn't understand how it could hinder his life this way. He'd left Chopper in the hands of Bepo and Penguin – they had some chores to run – and Law was on his way to some unknown destination, and Sanji still had that packet to finish. But he couldn't even make his way to the coffeeshop without feeling like he was split in two. Chopper had noticed him walking stiffly, calling him out on it, but after a show of moving around 'normally', he was now suffering for it. All he really wanted to do was lie in bed for the rest of the day with a goddamn ice pack on his –

"You're an easy target, right now."

"Fuck off. I'm not in the mood," he growled, hearing the sound of footsteps in front of him.

"We aren't, either, but here we are. After last night's transgressions, I'm afraid I can't wait any longer for our formal meeting."

With a suffering expression, Sanji lifted his head. He looked up and saw two men standing in front of him with stern faces of their own. One was around his height, wiry, dressed all in black with a track jacket and high collar, his plain hat pulled low over short orange hair. His long nose immediately made Sanji think he was looking at Ussop, but Ussop was bigger than this guy was. His boyish features looked slightly nervous as he kept a watchful eye beyond them, hands suspiciously tucked in the sleeves of his jacket, suggesting a hold on weapons hidden out of sight.

The other one was in a black suit with an open collar, long black hair pulled into a loose bun at the top of his neck to accommodate a top hat. He was strikingly tall and handsome, Sanji looking at him with some awe before he caught himself. His thick eyebrows were highly arched over fierce black eyes, his nose straight and untouched by battle – his mouth held in a stern frown. Overall, he looked like he were constantly scowling, but the lack of emotion in those eyes suggested otherwise. On his chin was an insanely maintained goatee, shaped in a u-form.

But on his shoulder was the white bird, wearing a black tie and a coat similar to his, so he looked from the bird to him, unsure of whom had spoken.

"Roronoa and Nico made a foul mess of things with Kid and Bonney," the man said with a sour tone, his expression unchanged. "If this type of malarkey is found acceptable by the lot of you as a whole, how does it make you different from the others?"

Sanji considered the pros and cons of standing so these two men wouldn't have to look down at him the way that they were, then settled for leaning back on the bench to give a show of nonchalance. Whoever they were, he wasn't going to show them that he was bothered by their confrontation. Inwardly, he was mortified by his hindrance.

"I'm sure they did what they could to stop those two. After all, no one else was stepping in, and how could those assholes think that their behavior is acceptable amongst their peers?" he asked. "You'd think they'd be shamed, at least, for acting the way they do."

"They weren't. If Zeff were here, he'd put a stop to this nonsense right away. With how much trouble they cause, he would have intervened much earlier. Your views as a group forgives that sort of behavior – it's unacceptable."

"Look, I appreciate the concern you have for your city, and the actions of your peers – "

"We're not in any way associated as part of the groups."

"Then why does their behavior bother you?" Sanji asked with a frustrated growl. He noticed that the bird hadn't 'said' one thing so far.

"I'm terribly sorry, but we've been out of work for some time," the other guy said with a half shrug. "Since we're not getting paid, there's bills piling up, and all of us are a little frustrated."

"Who are you?"

"We're bakers. There a bunch of cakes on back order, and we can't even pick up the ingredients needed to keep the shop running. We're going to be meeting you soon, so, I'm Kaku. This is Lucci. And Hattori."

 _Ah_ , Sanji thought with recognition, resettling back in his seat. "Look, I'm sorry. There's nothing I can say that can guarantee anything for you guys. Until the meeting and the orders are reviewed and approved of, I can't do anything. I understand your frustration, though. Being out of work must be difficult. But I might suggest taking up a second job?"

"Most of us do have second jobs," Kaku said impatiently. "But you don't understand. There's, uh, needs. Some of us have certain needs, and if we don't, um, honor them, we tend to get a little crazy."

"I see. It's unfortunate. Maybe you should find a hobby. Knitting, perhaps. Quilting? Pokemon Go? Luffy's addicted to it."

Lucci's eyebrow twitched as Kaku looked at him nervously. "This… _child_ …the one that runs your group, he is addicted to a cellphone game? Rather than attending to matters diplomatically here in the city with the syndicates, he's running about looking for virtual monsters. _On a fucking cellphone_."

Sanji shrugged. He couldn't help himself from instigating the man's mood. He could feel that dangerousness emitting from the other man, and it was growing hotter with every passing second. He had to keep telling himself to back off, that he might be incapable of anything spectacular for the moment, but his instinct often refused to listen to him.

"I see," he murmured, Kaku looking at him one more time, hand lifting in a placating motion. Lucci studied Sanji for a couple of seconds then said firmly. "Get up."

"Why?"

"Or I will _make_ you get up, and that won't be pleasant for anybody."

"Calm down, Lucci, it's just talk. We're all just talking here, there's no need for any physical confrontation – " Kaku tried to say but Lucci held a hand up his way, and stepped in closer to Sanji, the pigeon fluttering away to rest atop of Kaku's hat.

 _Damn it_ , he thought miserably, removing his bag from around his shoulder. When he stood, he visibly winced, embarrassed. But he straightened up and faced him stubbornly. It absolutely pissed him off that everyone they faced was taller than he was. This bastard had to be over six foot five.

"Give me a reasonable excuse why I shouldn't take my frustrations out on you right now, and send a message back to your friends that their inability to control the syndicates have been absolutely inexcusable," Lucci said quietly, his expression revealing nothing indicative of 'frustration'.

Sanji could smell the guy. It wasn't anything unnatural – like skin and hair warmed by the sun. He was a little disconcerted at the foreign feeling of attraction other to someone than his boyfriend. And that put him in an uncomfortable spot, suddenly acknowledging the feeling as a sense of betrayal. He was a man happy with his relationship – he absolutely adored the other man. So why did he feel attracted to a total stranger? He bit his lip and looked down, eyebrows pulled together with worry.

The discomfort he felt put off a different message, unfortunately. In that moment of weakness, he came off as intimidated by the other man. Sanji saw Kaku's eyes shift in that split second, registering acknowledgment.

"Because you'll lose whatever you use to touch this man and not get it back," Law growled back into Lucci's face, switching places with Sanji in that second, startling Hattori into flying away. Lucci looked at the man with vague surprise, but he reacted with a strike of a hand, and Law's sword was out, and the clash between them sent Kaku jumping away for safety, and Sanji to react with mortification at the intervention.

At the same time, he admitted, there was simply no way to stop it. He resisted the impulse to reach back on himself, red-faced and shamed as the fight exploded.

: :

Corazon chewed his nails with an absent expression, the Mario Kart theme music playing loudly on his Vita. Next to him, Doflamingo was glaring at his phone, adjusting his glasses a few times as the screen lied to him. Law sat across from them with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, with Sanji sitting next to him, glaring at the table.

The brothers had bought out the back half of the restaurant, much to the frustration of the parents with children that couldn't understand why they couldn't venture beyond a certain point of the arcade/pizza restaurant that Law had found them at. Corazon had noticed the angry tension between the two men, and he did not miss the bruises on his son. Plus, there was the blood stained face and shirt, a ripped jacket, and the venomous expression that Law often wore when he was frustrated over something he couldn't quite work to his favor.

He suspected that the pair were fighting – the tension was that strong. Any move Law made, Sanji glared at him for, and Law glared back at him in such a way that Sanji looked off in the other direction. They looked like the kids that Corazon was familiar with, and he felt a certain fondness for it that he couldn't describe.

Doflamingo dropped his phone onto the table with a loud exhale, a couple of minions nearby looking at him nervously. Leg crossed over the other, he laughed loudly, Corazon pausing in mid-chew. His fingers smeared his lipstick, which he didn't even bother to fix as he looked over at his brother. Both of them were dressed in fine three piece suits with opposing colors – Doflamingo in black, Corazon in white – and their absurdly large fur coats were spilled upon the floor behind their chairs, like liquefied animals. Atop of the table nearest Doflamingo were several guns of various sizes – across the room, mascots with bullet holes were trembling against the wall, sources of amusement for the bigger man.

"It's odd that you'd come to me for information," Doflamingo said, lounging back in a chair that was much too small for him. As it were, both he and Corazon were perched unnaturally on them – Corazon with his knees together, hunched over the table to support his chin. "I'm flattered. This is a grand day in my life timeline! My nephew… _Law_ …coming to me for assistance – "

"It's not 'assistance' I'm asking for," Law snapped at him, impatiently slapping a pizza tray nearby. "It's unfortunate that it came to this. But I want your _opinion_ on the goddamn bakery."

"It's the same thing."

"Opinion – noun, meaning 'personal view'. Assistance – also a noun. Meaning help, aid, support – this is none of that. I am only asking what you think of the fucking bakery. In no way am I asking for anything more than that."

"Wikipedia states that assistance can also mean 'the provision of money, resources, or information to help someone.' Aren't I providing you with my resources based on my opinion, or information?"

"Wikipedia also states that opinion is also to mean 'a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.'"

"It's the _same thing_! You still tracked me down to ask personally of my assistance in providing you my own personal information - !"'

"It's not the same fucking thing, because all I'm saying is - !"

"Sanji, Zeff didn't go over it with you?" Corazon asked him, reaching for his soda, slurping on it noisily as the pair continued to argue.

"Briefly, but we aren't scheduled to meet with them formally for a few days," Sanji muttered. "All I really wanted to know before hand, was what sort of power these people had over all of you."

"You know what it's for, through, right? They provide certain services for certain actions. But only after a request has been approved of, through the enforcer. All to maintain balance."

"I understand that much. I get why it's there – it's to cull the lower riff-raff in order to keep the peace. Syndicate heads themselves if they pose too much of a problem, or break a rule," Sanji muttered, reaching out to grab a slice of pizza. He picked off the pepperoni while Law looked at him as if he were personally offending him. So Sanji took a huge bite of the crust.

"I just want to know about the individual bakers before hand," he added, speaking through a full mouth.

"It's going to be all your fault later on," Law told him crossly. "That pepperoni will tear up your insides like - !"

"Ha ha ha! We need to watch our figures!" Doflamingo said, picking up a few slices, slapping them together as one. "I often just _look_ at food, and I balloon like that girl from Willy Wonka."

"We don't know the individual bakers," Corazon said, lighting up a cigarette, much to the workers' consternation nearby. A minion with a fire extinguisher stepped up close, hands shaking as he prepared himself to fire if necessary. "We're not supposed to. They could be anyone. That's the point of the bakery."

Sanji finished his pizza and wiped his hands on a napkin before saying, "I understand that it's shrouded in secrecy. That's its entire point. I just feel that certain members of an unnamed group have…let themselves known that they aren't pleased with Strawhat action. And I get that, too. But just in case they decide for themselves that we're not needed, I want to know how I can protect my friends."

"Where do we submit _our_ complaint?" Doflamingo asked, frowning at him. "I wasn't appreciative of that kid with a nose's handling of my delicate situation, the other night. Instead of standing still so that I could use him to tell Crocodile to knock off the shit, he ran away."

" 'Use him'?" Sanji repeated pointedly.

"Potato, potah-to," Doflamingo then said airily.

"So I was just wondering if any syndicate members actually knew who these guys were."

Corazon shrugged, setting his Vita down carefully. He put his cigarette out on his pizza slice nearby, looking over as a child broke free from his mother and went running into their area. Their minions quickly intercepted the child and herded him back towards the anxious parent, causing Corazon to put his gun down. Sanji wondered with horror if the man would truly shoot the kid. "Well, neither of us don't. I personally don't use the place, but Doffy places orders every once in awhile."

"This is how the bakery works," Doflamingo said, dialing up a number. When he heard a voice on the other end, he ordered grandly, "I want a two layer cake, with vanilla icing and chocolate inside. No, fudge. With that swirly chocolate chip stuff for the lettering. It should read, _Happy Birthday, Law_ , exclamation point. Delivered to his doorstep on Tuesday morning."

Then he put it on speakerphone, Law staring at him with no expression.

"I'm sorry sir," came the calm voice on the other end. "Your order could not be processed at this time. Please submit another order."

"This is actually the twenty-fifth order I'd submitted with your name on it," Doflamingo confessed, hanging up.

"You've tried to kill Law _twenty-five_ times?" Sanji asked incredulously.

"They keep denying it, for some odd reason," Doflamingo said with a puzzled expression. "Maybe they don't have his _correct name_ on file."

"I'm surprised it's such a low number," Law mumbled, rubbing at his chin thoughtfully. "I'll have to try harder."

" _NO_!" Sanji exclaimed, horrified.

"Cora! The bakery refuses to take my order!" Doflamingo bellowed with indignant action, despite the fact that he was sitting right next to him.

"Too bad," Corazon muttered.

"The next cake will definitely have your name on it. I'll figure it out, somehow," Doflamingo threatened, shaking his phone at Law.

"Make sure it's strawberry, because I absolutely detest chocolate," Law muttered.

"Noted," Doflamingo muttered, entering it onto his phone.

"So, the bakery is comprised of assassins that no one knows of," Sanji said, nervously fiddling with his fingers. He wished the pair wouldn't 'joke' that way, but he had a definite feeling that it wasn't a joke.

"Their information is definitely kept by a third party, and it's not shared with any of us. Just that services are available as indicated," Doflamingo said. "You wouldn't know who they were if they passed by you on the street."

"Too late, now," Law muttered bitterly.

"These are the bastards who don't approve of Luffy's position, or our actions, lately," Sanji said with a frown. "They've become rather impatient and angry about our lack of control."

"Glad they feel the same way we do! _You_ bastards are horrible at maintaining order! I'm getting away with _everything_!" Doflamingo exclaimed, picking up a gun and aiming at a mascot that was trying to sneak towards a nearby side exit. Sanji reached over and snatched it from his hand, slamming it back down on the table. Doflamingo gave him a frown.

"Look, attend the meeting, hash out details, work something out," Corazon said, reaching for another cigarette. "You don't want the bakery pissed at you for any reason. These guys are on a different level than most of us. The ranking system of fighters was based on their model of determining stronger warriors within their organization to have power over all of us. Really, they only threat they are are those whose orders have been called in. They organize death however you order it."

"The ranking system…?"

"When they had the White Rabbit on the streets, everyone was fighting to be noticed, or recruited, right? Well, in order to determine who the strongest fighters were, Zeff distributed them equally to our groups so that none of us were that much more powerful than the other," Corazon said, Doflamingo leaning back in his chair and snoring dramatically. So Corazon spoke up to be heard. "In this system, all bakery members were ranked in the low twenties, because they are recruited as children and trained exclusively to take this position. They have a different method of fighting instincts that most of us, don't. It was almost like they were programmed to lack our emotions. I don't think these people know how to live normally like we do, because all they'd done throughout their lives was fight and kill."

 _Makes sense with that face_ , Sanji thought, thinking of Lucci. He felt guilt again, glancing at Law, who was glaring off to the side, watching as a mascot managed to sneak away towards the stage.

Corazon twisted in his chair to stomp his heel down on Doflamingo's foot, forcing him to straighten up with a startled scream of pain. "Doffy, weren't you given a message regarding the bakery, recently?"

"I did. All it said was that all back orders will be placed in a secure location until a resolution could be found," Doffy answered, picking up a slice of pizza and hurling it at the mascot that shrieked once she was hit. "I need a refill, damn you! I'm parched!"

Corazon studied Law for a few moments. "So…this state of you right now…?"

"I'm trying out a different look," Law said impatiently, wiping dried blood from his forehead. When he removed his hat, the top half of his hair was matted with blood, grass and dirt, and Sanji looked away with a shamed expression. "Is it me?"

"Not enough bullet holes," Doflamingo decided, sitting back in his chair, picking up a cup of gold tokens for the arcade. "I can help, actually."

"I've got enough juice for you to try," Law told him, tossing his hat on the table.

But once Doflamingo left the table, walking up to the line of kids that were looking into their section with mystified action, Law looked at Corazon. Anxiously, Sanji watched as the man tossed the cup of tokens into the air, kids racing about to gather as much as they could.

"Hahaha! You little bastards! Fight to the death! The ones with the most coins and the most blood gets another bucket! That's it, _kill_ each other! You're our future! Ignore your moms, they just want you to grow up to be pussies!"

"OH MY GOD," Sanji exclaimed, horrified as the parents started to protest, struggling to pull at their kids, all of whom were driven crazy in order to gather tokens. Doflamingo laughed merrily at the chaos.

"I need a babysitter for Saturday," Law said to Corazon.

Corazon choked on smoke, looking at Sanji with a frown. But Sanji was looking at Law with an unexpected smile, then looking at him with hope. "A…a babysitter? You …of whom?"

"Our dog. Momo."

"Oh, _Chopper_. Um, it's not a good idea," Corazon said, looking at his brother, watching him torment the kids that were scrambling all over each other to retrieve arcade tokens from the floor. When the parents made to intervene, Doflamingo held them off at gunpoint, a couple of minions hurrying over with more tokens to toss into the scramble. Then he said hastily, "I'd – you know what? Fine. I can come over. Doffy never notices when I leave. I'd be happy to babysit."

"Thanks, Cora. I'll text you general information about Chopper and – you guys get along great. I'm sure he won't give you any trouble," Sanji said, reaching over and grabbing Law's thigh under the table, in a show of forgiveness.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it!" Corazon said brightly, looking forward to an evening without his brother around.

: :

Zoro, Robin and Ussop let themselves into their apartment a few hours later, Robin carrying a file and Ussop looking nervous.

"What's with you?" Zoro asked Sanji as he caught sight of him lying on the couch with a mopey expression, Law nowhere in sight.

"Nothing. I heard something about you guys and Kid and Bonney last night?" Sanji asked, sitting up carefully on the couch, trying not to wince. "You guys hungry or thirsty?"

"No thanks. Please, sit, we've some things we need to discuss," Robin said, seating herself in one of the chairs nearby, Ussop flopping onto the couch next to Sanji with a tired air. Zoro remained standing, digging out a wrapped taco from his shirt pocket. "First of all, we might've gone overboard last night with those two. Unfortunately, Bonney is a squirmy, small woman with ridiculously loose clothing. In the process of dropping her from the penthouse suite, I inadvertently ended up tearing her dress off in her plunge to the street, causing a serious commotion of immodesty. _Fortunately_ , she was able to catch herself, and she had no problem fighting us in her underwear."

"All Kid talked about was his Pinterest boards, and showed me his favorite dining room setups," Zoro said with a troubled frown. "I got bored, and ended up fighting my way out of it."

"Kid was being _nice_ to you, and you chose to pick a fight?" Sanji asked him.

"Kid had Zoro pinned underneath a couple of cars while showing him his phone from above," Robin corrected. "He was very eager to get ideas for a future dinner party. Which is considerably odd because you don't think 'dinner party' when you look at Kid. You think execution and death – and what does he do with all those bodies? One has to wonder."

 _No one thinks like you do_ , Zoro and Sanji thought together.

"So, in the end, both of them did not regret their actions, and have accused us of many sinister things," she finished. She held up the file, opening it to reveal crudely written threats – in them, the writer wanted them all to die. She looked at it, and then blanched, removing the first three papers. "I'm sorry, these are to my landlord. Here."

"ROBIN!" Ussop cried in horror.

She laughed prettily as Sanji took the file from her. The papers were Google maps with all of their living locations written down on pinpointed areas, along with who lived with who, and the schedules of noted leave times.

"This was circulating the forums. So now they know where we live, and I'm sure we'll be targeted. I'm all for the excitement, but if they interrupt my slumber, I'm afraid I'll be very angry enough to retaliate. I can't account for my actions between twelve and seven am."

"Well, not only all this, but…I met with two of the bakers, today," Sanji said, feeling a heavy weight on his chest. It was bad enough Chopper and Shachi and whoever else came through those doors and interrupted their playtime – to know that every syndicate was aware of their living location was enough to make his dick shrivel up into his body without any chance of feeling alive again.

"Is that your soul leaving your body?" Ussop asked him curiously.

"Are you _that_ afraid?" Zoro asked him scornfully, arms crossed over his chest. "Well? What were they like?"

Sanji did not want to tell him that he was forced to stand on the sidelines while Law fought with Lucci. His face and neck turned red, and he set the file aside with a reluctant toss.

"Uh…very…very strong. Like they'd been training for ages."

"Details."

"The two I met – three – "

"Where's Chopper?" Ussop interrupted, digging into his backpack and withdrawing some comic books. "I had some things I wanted to share with him."

"Penguin and Bepo had some things, and…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did we interrupt your personal time together?" Robin asked, putting two and two together.

"No, no, it's okay."

"Tell us about the bakers!" Zoro asked impatiently. " _How strong_?"

"Uh, well…one was named Kaku. He tried to keep the peace. I thought he was Ussop at first, but – the only – you have to look closely, because he's definitely not Ussop. The other is Lucci, and he's…he's pretty strong."

" _How_ strong?" Zoro stressed, grinning at the thought of a worthy opponent.

Sanji looked in the direction of the room, where Law had disappeared earlier. "Pretty strong," he muttered.

"Oh my," Robin commented, hand to her mouth.

"You don't look beat up," Zoro noticed. "How did you fare against him?"

Sanji looked towards the balcony. He got up, much to the puzzled expressions of his friends, and picked up his pack of cigarettes. Once outside, he had a couple moments to inhale and exhale quietly as Zoro snapped at him, "Don't ignore us! What the hell?"

"I didn't fight him," Sanji said, looking off into the distance. "I couldn't."

"Why?" Robin and Zoro asked at the same time, Ussop tilting his head with bewilderment.

After another calming set, Sanji made a face. Then he said hastily, "Stretched a muscle."

"Oh, whew, well, that happens a lot," Ussop said with assurance. "Especially to me. I _live_ with stretched muscles. It happens to me so frequently that I have found a way to think out of the pain, and usually, it's just the fact that if tell myself I am Godly, then it doesn't hurt so much. So just give yourself some positive verbal reinforcements, and you'll be fine!"

"Oh!" Robin suddenly giggled. "How unfortunate! At this time! The next time, you'll certainly die."

"Yes, yes, I know."

"So you _stretched_ a _muscle_?" Zoro repeated incredulously. "What a stupid excuse!"

"Hey, it happens, okay? It couldn't be helped!"

"It just means you need to train more!"

"Accidents happen."

"But true warriors don't get felled by a damn stretched muscle!"

"Some do! Especially when they cause it upon themselves!"

Robin laughed, Ussop looking at her with a frown. "You truly do find delight in other people's pain, don't you?"

"I can't believe this!" Zoro huffed. "So, where's Law? Let me talk to him. I'm assuming he had to handle the situation because of your _stretched muscle_."

"Something tells me he might know more about this unfortunate circumstance than one thinks," Robin said, Sanji shushing her with a red face.

Sanji tucked his lips between his teeth. Before he could say anything, the man walked out from the hallway, looking at them with a frown. He had just emerged from the shower, dressed only in a pair of pants, and Sanji felt his throat tighten up. His nose felt itchy. Despite everything that had happened last night, he still felt the urge to pounce on him.

"Well? What are these guys like?" Zoro asked Law.

Law cleared his throat. He looked at the shirt he'd yet to put on, fiddling with the material for a few moments. Sanji frowned at him, killing the ember of his cigarette and tossing the butt into the can nearby. He walked back into the living room, shutting the sliding door behind him before standing before Law as he made to put on his shirt. Seeing that he was properly dressed, Sanji walked away from him. Robin was terribly amused.

"How did you beat those bastards Sanij's talking about?" Zoro asked again.

"I didn't. I lost," Law answered with a severe frown.

Zoro's face changed with building excitement. His skin glowed as his fingers tightened on his swords.

"I need to see these guys!" Zoro exclaimed. "When is that meeting?"

"Friday," Robin assured him, then looked at Law. "Are you okay?"

"All that's damaged is my pride. I don't know who he was, but his friend's name is Kaku. I beat him a few years back. If you want to know, he changes into a giraffe," Law grumbled.

"So a _stretched muscle_ kept you from picking on a formidable opponent," Zoro said to Sanji. "You are not a pussy. Don't act like one."

Sanji's hand went to his face, Robin tried not to laugh, Law making a face while Ussop wondered why the stark, heavy silence that fell as a result of this. Zoro frowned at them, suddenly aware of an implication, but unsure of where to start with it.

"On that note, you are aware that you've given these men something to think about. They're out of jobs. They're desperate for work, and, given their professions, they are more likely to slip up with releasing their identities towards the Strawhats in a show of agitation. That's what this was about, right, Sanji?"

"Yes. They were frustrated with our lack of ability to control the syndicates," Sanji answered with a sullen frown. "They were frustrated that we're not handling the situations with them as delicately as Zeff did. For some reason, it frustrates them."

"They're assassins, they're paid to kill people on command. Why is what we're not doing 'frustrating' them?" Zoro asked with irritation.

"They've not been killing anyone, lately," Robin answered. "I'm sure they aren't being paid to do much, now. In this economy, it's important to receive a regular paycheck."

"So when they were talking about backorders, that's what this is about?" Ussop asked. "Like, how do we get at those orders? When we look at them, do we have to approve each and every one of them, knowing that they're orders to kill? I don't think we thought this one through, guys."

"Indeed."

"I'm uncertain about that, too," Sanji confessed. "I get why people should be killed in this line of work. Certain crimes against others deserves death. But when we have to 'approve' them in order to maintain balance on this web, how do we go to sleep with that on our conscience?"

"Most of the time, each kill is justified," Law told him. "Perhaps someone committed a crime against a child. Perhaps a syndicate head ignored the rules and hit a family member to cause damage to a rival. That sort of thing."

"But what if they're stupid things, like Doffy's orders?"

"You talked to that guy about this?" Zoro asked. "I thought we agreed that you'd ease off going to those guys for anything regarding our business."

" _I_ went to them, and since we're a couple, Sanji was there with me," Law answered for him. "He couldn't help but overhear these things."

Zoro didn't know how to answer that, but he was still giving Sanji a look of disapproval. "You can walk around with that stretched muscle, but you can't fight?"

"Shut up about it, okay?"

"Where's it at, anyway? Just Tiger Balm it. Wrap it with K-Tape. RICE it."

"Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation," Ussop said at Robin's puzzled expression.

"Good idea, Zoro. RICE it, Sanji," Law told him with a straight face.

Sanji snarled at him.

"So we _were_ being monitored. These guys are following us everywhere, aren't they? Judging us from the shadows," Ussop said with realization. He began to sweat. I don't even know what they look like!"

"The ones we saw today – one has a long nose like yours, he has orange hair. Carries swords. That's Kaku. The other is taller, with a ridiculous man-bun, an unusual goatee, and a bird."

"What kind of bird?" Zoro asked suspiciously. "One with a tie?"

"Yes."

Zoro looked at Sanji accusingly. " _Fish_."

"Shut up!"

"From now on, we're hanging out in the open."

"The woman from the restaurant most certainly has to be one, as well," Robin theorized. With a grave expression, she reported, "She is tall, blond, large chest, probably a 32 triple D or F."

"How do you _notice_ these things?" Ussop asked her.

"If they do decide to target the lot of you for failing to control the groups, it's going to be messy," Law said. "Get it together. Agree on a plan."

"This is a learning process," Zoro said with disgust. "Admittedly, it's not as easy as I thought it would be. I thought these fools would control themselves, but they're taking advantage of the chaos to do their own thing. Until they take us seriously, they're going to continue being the way they are."

"Well, we better learn fast," Sanji muttered.

: :

"They should be back here, shortly," Law to Sanji later on, coming into the bedroom with a cold pack wrapped in a towel. Sanji was lying on the bed with his hips propped up on a pillow, holding an icepack in a certain place. With his pants and underwear off, he had the sheet pulled up to his back. "They're bringing take out with them since they heard you were indisposed."

"This is so humiliating. The entire thing," Sanji muttered, removing the icepack. "I don't know what I was thinking."

Law shrugged, lowering the sheet from around Sanji, then gently pressed the cold pack against the area Sanji had been nursing. He felt pretty bad for the circumstances, knowing he should've done things differently. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and he'd responded in a way that couldn't be helped.

Sanji lifted his head to look back at him, biting his lower lip for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry I was such a dick, today. It was…humiliating that I couldn't…that I came off looking like a total wimp."

"I understand. Your pride, and all."

"What were you doing there, anyway? I thought we agreed - ?"

"The total matter of the fact was that I was there," Law interrupted, laying down next to him, looking up at the ceiling with a sullen expression.

"I can't even be mad about it," Sanji murmured, holding the cold compress against himself. "But don't expect to do it again, all right? I can handle myself. This time…this time was just a damn fluke."

"I sort of figured it was so when that guy was in your face. Honestly, I didn't even give you time to do anything."

"I'm not a damsel in distress."

"I know."

Law turned over, removing the compress to see if things were working for Sanji in that area. "It's still swollen."

"So embarrassing…don't look anymore," Sanji grumbled, feeling the other man shift on the bed. Moments later, he felt his mouth right in the area he'd been icing, and he straightened away with a gasp. "Stop! Don't kiss me there!"

"It's fine, it's fine. Besides, isn't that what we're supposed to do? Kiss each other's boo-boos?"

"Don't say 'boo-boos' with that face. And, no, not there!"

"But how am I supposed to ignore your ass when it's up in the air like an offering?" Law asked, grinning as he grabbed hold of his hips, holding him in place as he lowered his head again. Spreading Sanji's cheeks, he placed gentle kisses against the area, and Sanji tensed because it felt good, because he still felt horny from all this unreleased tension, and the way Law's mouth moved against him made him both uncertain and eager for more.

When he felt his tongue scrape over him, he gave a distressed sound, but it felt good, too. Having that organ against his most sensitive place made him shiver, but it made him hard, too. Feeling his goatee scrape against his skin made him hum, relaxing only a little as he pushed his hips up. He felt Law's mouth from his ass to his balls, one hand creeping around his hip to touch his erection.

"Ah, that feels good," he breathed, closing his eyes as he pushed up into the sensation. When he felt Law's teeth scrape against the underside of his ass cheek, feeling him move and adjust against him, Sanji just went with it. the hard strokes on his dick made him restless for more, turning his head so he could muffle his noises against the bed. Then he felt Law shift, to coax him onto his back. His head lowered to Sanji's stomach, kissing him there while he stroked the outside of his thighs, pushed his legs up from the inside of his knees so he could lick and kiss his balls, and Sanji didn't know where to hold onto, so he held his own legs.

Once he felt Law suck his dick into his mouth, he gave a pleased cry, releasing his own legs to reach for his hair. He loved the other man's hair. It was thick and long enough for him to grip when this happened, and he knew Law liked it too when Sanji pulled on it during his more excited moments. He didn't last long, cumming a few minutes later with a loud moan, feeling Law swallow all of it. He sat up clumsily, reaching between them to help the man shift out of his pants, to palm his dick with one hand, and guide his head down to his with the other. He could taste his own salt, smell the scent of himself, and combined with Law's own taste, he hummed in approval. His tongue searched out his, caressing and rubbing against it while his fingers encircled and stroked Law's own erection with firm action.

As he started to lower himself to return the favor, he shifted his hold from his dick to his balls, playing with those as he pressed kisses against his chest and stomach over his shirt. Once down there, he pushed the man back first against the mattress, licking up the length of his dick. He liked that Law watched him, his own hand reaching out to Sanji's hair, to comb and brush it back from his face so he could see better. Sanji opened his mouth wide and took him in, moving as far down as he could before hitting his gag reflex. Then he pulled back up, leaving as much spit as he could behind. His fingers shifted from his balls just to behind, finding the sensitive spot behind there.

A few minutes later, he drank up the load Law released as he gave a low moan. Removing his dick from his mouth, Sanji stroked him until the tremors left Law, the man looking up at the ceiling with relief. Sanji let his softening dick drop before he crawled over him, placing kisses up against his neck, wrapping his legs around one of his as he settled atop of him. He reached behind them just to hold lightly on the organ that shrunk as they laid in silence, just looking at each other.

" _Mine_ ," he said, tightening his grip slightly.

"Yeah, I suppose," Law agreed, heart racing fast as Sanji smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four **

The next morning, after Sanji packed up Chopper and left for a list of chores he wanted to accomplish, Law looked at the text that had hit him earlier.

'Let me know when he takes off,' Zoro had demanded.

Law remembered Sanji's plea to be 'on his own' for a certain amount of time. _Technically_ , this part of the agreement was only directed at him and the other three. Law sent Zoro a list of places that Sanji had said he'd be, feeling a load off his chest. Then he grabbed his sword, shoved on a new pair of glasses – forever wondering where he'd lost his last pair, as he usually never lost things like that – then headed out.

It was a nice day, just slightly chilly. The air was fresh, bringing with it the smells of the river nearby, water rippling noisily along the banks. Traffic was light in their area, lights flashing from time to time with the change. The streets were gritty with leftover salt from the winter months, the grass in decorative yards turning a beautiful shade of green, fluttering lightly with the breeze. Clouds stretched over the blue sky with the delicate constancy of lace – bubbling only slightly towards the east. Airplanes roared through the space just above the buildings, causing birds to flutter from the trees. In the distance, the high rises of the downtown area glittered with the sun's light, the windows shuddering as a military plane coasted too close to the cityscape.

Today, he was wearing his favorite pair of black jogger pants, ankles showing above his Vans, and a navy sweater over a white collared shirt. He was aware of all the second glances that happened as he walked the sidewalk to the other side of the river, but it didn't matter to him. Once upon a time, as a teenager, he'd been awakened to his physical power. Girls who hadn't looked twice at him suddenly noticed him, and he had been curious, being a boy. Once he realized what sort of power he had, it was easy finding company, but it came with consequences.

They hadn't cared about him as an individual – they'd only cared about his looks, about what he could do to them physically. So he started seeing himself as such; he ended up guarding himself so much that when he came across Shachi and Penguin, he hadn't expected to open up the way he did with them. Maybe it was their easygoing nature, their stubbornness to prove themselves worthy – or their wicked ninja-like skills that secretly awed him – but when they became friends, Law kept his grip tight on them. They went wherever he did, and jumped into danger just as much as he did without too much of an argument. They were truly the best minions a guy could have. Back then, he started to think he was capable of being a person if he could care about two other people.

Then Sanji came along, took down his walls with his melodramatics, and suddenly Law realized what _sort_ of a person he could be. Even when they were kids, he was in awe of Sanji's luminosity. He couldn't help but want to be in that, and once he was submerged in that pool Sanji kept himself in, he couldn't bring himself to look back. Yes, there were moments where he thought with frightening action that Sanji wasn't the same person he was when he was taken; he thought he'd fall out of love with this stranger, and it scared him some nights.

But there were definitely others when the man did or said something that reassured Law of his position. When he could look back on their path together and see how far they'd come, as individuals and as a couple, he was in awe of it. Someone wanted to be with him that badly, they ignored his bad manners and actions, and made him do better things – that person was definitely Sanji. Who cared about him as a person, and not what he could do for him; most of the time, he was rejecting what Law could do for him, and Law was doing that entirely on his own.

Smiling cheerfully, just thinking of the other man made him happy.

"SENPAI! You look like a dork! Like that Leo meme!" he heard Shachi shout from above him, and he looked up at the apartment that Penguin had, seeing the other man leaning over the railing. When he moved to spit down on him, Law switched him places. He walked into the living room, where Bepo was napping on the floor, and Penguin was slurping up noodles from a bowl. The man was dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, slim and neat from the usual appearance he had, where he wore too baggy clothes and hid his amazingly attractive face from the world. Bepo was lounging about his old coffee shop overalls.

"When did he come in?" Law asked, setting his sword aside to sit on the battered couch they'd hauled to Penguin's from the sidewalk.

"Last night, for the weekend. Why are you walking funny? Or should I even ask?" Penguin asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, yesterday, I ran into a couple of bakers on my way to have Kikoku sharpened, and incidentally, I saw that Sanji was having a heated conversation with a couple of men of unknown origins. When one attacked, I intervened, because I felt I was a better match."

Penguin nodded in understanding, both of them hearing the running of feet on the stairway. Moments later, Shachi burst into the apartment with a growl, slamming the door shut. His bright green skinny jeans, Neon colored Nike shoes and striped v-neck made Law wince. His red hair clashed with the color.

Penguin said patiently, "This is all translated to; _you_ let Sanji have his freedom but in doing so, you couldn't help but stalk him to location to location just to be sure, and instead of assessing the situation as you said it, you got jealous, so you got your ass beat."

Law gave him a stern look. "Penguin, if you want me to tell a story, let me tell a story. Don't make something up on your own."

"Whate _ver_ , senpai, you ass."

"Asshole! Where's Sanji?" Shachi asked, flopping into the beanbag chair nearby.

"Didn't you hear, Shachi? Sanji is now a free elf."

Shachi snorted, wiping at his nose. "How long will that last?"

"Anywho, that's what happened yesterday," Law said.

"Were they tough?"

"Very."

"Ha ha! Ouch."

"I'm not that worried about it, though," Law admitted. "I trust the Strawhats to handle their situation accordingly. And I know Sanji is fully capable of taking care of his own issues – this was genuinely the one time I felt I had to step in, though. It was necessary."

"Why, though?" Shachi asked curiously.

Law ignored his question. "So, which comes to this. I am glad you are here, Shachi, your advice is truly valuable."

" _Awesome_!"

"A friend of mine has admitted to me that he has a date on Saturday. He has confessed in that he has no idea what to do on a date. I don't have good enough advice. What should he do?"

Penguin and Shachi tried to picture one of the Strawhats approaching Law for date advice, then looked at each other.

"Well…the last date I had, eons ago, I took this girl to an art gallery, because she said she liked art," Penguin said slowly. "But I didn't even look ahead. That's the important part. You look ahead before you make any sort of arrangements! I ended up taking her to a gallery that had a showing of vagina-flowers, so we ended up looking at vaginas that night. Needless to say, I didn't get a call back."

"My last date was awesome!" Shachi said cheerily. "We met over there at the train station, then walked through the park nearby, talking about stuff. We bought food from the trucks, I played that little I Found A Flower For You thing, and then we went and watched a high school band play in the palladium on the south end of things. It was really great!"

Penguin and Law gave him curious looks. "So, what happened if it was such a great date? Did you get some?"

"No, he was stood up, and it was me hanging out with him," Bepo said from the floor, yawning.

Shachi groaned. "Yeah, she never showed up at the train station, and all my calls and texts were blocked. I don't know what I did."

"So, should I tell my friend not to do any of these things?" Law asked. "No walks in the park? No food trucks? No art galleries?"

"Well, how chill is his date?" Shachi asked.

"Uh…pretty…mellow? Into…I guess…she's into that romanticism and things. Candles. Dinner. Animals in cages. That sort of thing."

"Look, if his date is chill, then have him take her to the circus. It's at the rodeo grounds this weekend, south end of the city."

"No, that's a terrible idea. Why promote animal cruelty by paying people to torture chained animals for human entertainment?"

"Shut up, senpai," Penguin said impatiently.

Shachi leaned forward. "Take her to a restaurant – look, I noticed that there's a new Korean barbeque place that opened up down the block, and it looks really nice."

Law gave him a skeptic look. "She really doesn't like eating out…he said."

"Sanji's always talking about the aquarium, have him take her there!"

"I suppose. But another question he'd asked was, how should he…conduct himself? Remember, this is his first date. Is there something different he should be doing? What should they talk about? Also, what should he wear?"

"Is it Zoro asking these things?" Penguin asked curiously, lowering his bowl to his lap. "Because I can't see him fretting about this sort of thing. Or Ussop? Ussop would ask questions like this, but I can't see him asking for your advice – "

"It doesn't matter, Penguin! What matters is that there is a man in crisis!" Shachi exclaimed, rising up from his chair. "What _I_ want to know, senpai, is why is he so worried about himself when he should be worried about the girl! He just needs to be himself. She likes him for a reason, enough of it to go out with him – he shouldn't change himself just to impress her!"

"Oh, yeah, that's good advice," Penguin said, setting his bowl aside as Bepo rolled over and faced them with another yawn.

"He needs to look at her. She probably doesn't have a lot to say. But there's something about her that makes him think about trying to kiss her."

Law frowned as Penguin gave Shachi a bewildered look, finding it odd that he'd talk so frankly about the most important part of a date so quickly. "Well, maybe it shouldn't be physical because…maybe he wants to talk and be comfortable with who they are, first."

"But I bet he wants her. He probably can't take his eyes off her. And she agreed to the date, so she wants him too, right? He should probably just ask her, but actually go in for the kill, too."

"That's terrible advice," Penguin scolded. "Consent is mandatory."

"Shalalalalla my oh my! Looks like the boy's too shy, ain't gonna kiss the girl," Bepo sang, the act registering with Penguin moments later. He stood up quickly and shoved Shachi over the chair as the man laughed uproariously.

"I don't get it," Law frowned, rubbing his goatee. The movie reference went completely over his head. "Is that the point of the date? Getting physical? But what if they'd already known each other for some time, and don't need to build up that tension?"

"Senpai, the point of a date nowadays is getting laid," Penguin told him impatiently, sitting down on the floor once more. "There's no such thing as romance, anymore. I mean, c'mon – how many times have _you_ taken Sanji out on a date? Have you _ever_? Did you guys ever just leave the apartment to just hang out with each other and do date things?"

"I can't see you guys doing that," Shachi snorted, sitting back down in the chair. "You're too much of a snob to lower yourself to wooing Sanji, which is sad, because Sanji's into that sort of thing. It doesn't make sense how he stays with you when he could find somebody that's more into that sort of thing than you. You're such a control freak."

There was that small sliver of terror that Law sometimes felt. A sliver that made him think that just because Sanji was younger than him, hadn't had a relationship other than him, that made him feel as if Sanji often looked in another direction to consider other men. To Law, he was done with other people; he couldn't see himself with anyone else, knowing he was a hard person to get along with. He didn't want to. But Sanji was so unlike him…eager to explore and try new things and meet new people, and - !

Maybe that was why Sanji had been so restless, lately. Maybe he was struggling with something that he couldn't talk about, and maybe he was looking at other things – other _people_ – their sex life was a joke - !

Penguin sensed the agitation in his friend, eyes widening. The conversation suddenly made sense. He cleared his throat noisily, saying, "Tell your friend to just be himself. Don't do anything different. Have him ask her what she wants to do. If she 'doesn't care', like they all say, then have him take her to the aquarium. Then to the fresh market place over there in the north part of town, by the bowling stadium. Everything's fresh and you can actually cook your own stuff after you pick it out. After that, there is an amazing resort further up in that area that has an awesome skyline view of the city, and the country, and the lake's just to the left! I'm pretty positive she'd be into that sort of thing. Girls like looking at things that are…pretty."

"Oh, yeah, that's true. Take her shopping. Tell him to take her to that mall in that same area, the one with ten stories," Shachi said, totally oblivious. "Hey, have him buy her a lipstick from the expensive places. Girls love when you buy their makeup for them."

"Don't buy make-up..."

"I met this girl in college that liked that sort of thing, and she always gave me head –"

" _Shut up_!" Penguin exclaimed.

"Anyway, what Penguin said, senpai," Shachi said, waving off his friend's agitation.

"That's all…sound advice," Law said slowly. He looked at his phone, looking up the places that Penguin had mentioned, saying, "I'll text him this information."

"Other than that, what about these guys that you were talking about, earlier?" Penguin asked, leaning back on Bepo.

"Ah…bakers. From the bakery. They're getting annoyed at the Strawhats for not following through with their tasks," Law muttered, finding the resort, and looking into the prices there. Once he saved the phone number, he looked for the fresh market place that was also mentioned. He was pretty sure Sanji would like that.

Penguin plucked his phone out from his pocket, scrolling quickly. "What did they look like?"

"It was definitely Kaku and another man. I didn't catch his name. Tall, long hair. He was the aggressor. When Sanji spoke of the bird with the tie, it belonged to him, which said that they were watching him for some time."

"Doesn't that make you nervous?"

Law took a careful breath. "I can't answer that without lying."

"I'm sure things will work out, fine. The kinks will be sorted out, and everyone will get along, again. Do you need us to do anything?" Penguin then asked, sending a text.

Law looked at his phone. 'First date flowers; Daffodils! Jeans, those weird leather shoes, that black shirt with the long sleeves, leather jacket. FIX YOUR GODDAMN HAIR.'

"No," he answered, blushing faintly.

: :

Luffy exhaled heavily as he stood between Crocodile, Daz Bones, and Dr Hogback, with Absalom growling just above his head. All around them were minions of various sizes, ready to fight at the drop of a hand. To Luffy's right, Sanji and Nami, Chopper in her arms, stood with frustrated expressions. The street around them was crowded with people looking in cautiously, various cars pulled off to the side as sand whipped around them noticeably.

Nearby, a restaurant was in flames. The fire department worked on it cautiously, keeping an eye out on the group nearby.

"Tell me again why you're fighting?" Luffy asked, hands on his hips as he looked up at Crocodile, then at Dr Hogback.

"This fool here knows I come to this place every Thursday for my special," Dr Hogback snapped, pointing at Crocodile. "But when I pulled up, he and his gallery of fools had just taken up the parking lot and reserved the entire place for lunch! The special ends at 1! He did it deliberately so I'd miss out!"

"Couldn't you have found another place to dine?" Nami asked cautiously. "I mean, this is the city, after all."

"The point of it is, I come here every Thursday for my special! There is no other place with a special like this one!"

"I felt like this place, so I'm going to be here no matter who wants to eat here," Crocodile snapped. "If you wanted your special so bad, all you had to do was call it in. Old bastard."

" _You're_ the old bastard, here!"

"Next time that finger comes anywhere near my face, I'll bite it off!"

"Calm yourselves!" Luffy commanded, hand stretching out simultaneously to push both mouths closed, much to their horror. Once he retracted them, Crocodile had Cheeto's dust on his chin, and Dr Hogback was brushing breadcrumbs from his jaw with a startled reaction. "Let's talk like adults! Now, the way I see it, Crocodile, you knew this was Hogback's special time. You deliberately came by just to aggravate him. Why?"

"Maybe I just felt like eating here, because this is my street," Crocodile snarled, wiping his face with his gloved hand.

"I don't see your name on it!"

"You shouldn't have to! You know where my territory stands!"

" _First_ off," Nami interrupted firmly, "This isn't your territory, Crocodile. To the north of this road is the cutoff for your established boundaries. You are actually encroaching on Drake's territory. Both of you."

Both of them frowned, then looked around themselves.

"Huh. I wasn't aware of that," Crocodile admitted shortly. "Are you sure?"

"I'll be glad to email you the map," she said.

Dr Hogback gave a growl. "But this is the restaurant I like. I can't just stop going – look, I'll talk to Drake about it, negotiate a deal. But this is my place, every Thursday!"

"Fine. If it comes to it being that this is Drake's territory, I don't mind leaving it," Crocodile said crankily. "I'd rather not deal with that prehistoric cry-baby and his threatening letterhead every Monday afternoon."

He looked at Daz, then signaled with his head to walk on. As they walked off, Dr Hogback turned in the other direction to meet with his entourage. The street began to clear. Luffy looked at Nami with utter delight. He reached out and hugged her tightly, laughing as Chopper tried to poke his head out to get some air. Sanji was impressed that they'd handled this so easily. Then his eye was caught by the birds fluttering around over head.

"Good job, Nami! You did it! And we didn't even have to fight! Even though I really wanted to!" he shouted.

"Thank God," Nami admitted, wiping her forehead as she looked at Sanji. But the man was scanning the faces of the crowds around them, frowning. "What's up?"

"I thought I saw a white bird. You _do_ know that we're being monitored by the bakery, right? Didn't Zoro talk to you guys?" he asked, following after them as they walked off the street and onto the sidewalk nearby.

"Robin did mention it. We let it go. I mean, if it's that big of a problem, I'm sure those guys will come to us and talk to us about the problem," she said, turning to let Chopper down onto the sidewalk when she realized she was looking at a pair of black clothed legs. She looked up, then gasped lightly at the frowning face looking down at her.

Sanji hastily pulled her behind him as Luffy looked up at him with awe, mouth open.

Hattori fluttered just above their heads, then landed on Lucci's shoulder as Kaku watched him nervously. Both of them were dressed similarly, in black suits and light weight trench coats, Hattori wearing a coat of his own. Lucci's hair was down, today, his hat brim low, wearing the same grumpy expression as yesterday. Kaku put his cellphone away, eyes looking anxiously at them in turn.

"Good show," Lucci said to Luffy, lip curling just slightly at the sight of the boy's awed expression. "But quite honestly, I expected a different outcome than that, after the mess you've created lately."

"Like a fight? Yeah, me too, especially since Crocodile's always wanting a fight," Luffy said, reaching up to rub his head as he looked up at the man. "Who are you?"

Lucci looked away from him and looked at Sanji instead. Sanji didn't want to look at him at all, feeling embarrassed from yesterday's event. So he looked in the other direction, which made Hattori flutter with anxious action.

"You didn't tell them that we met?" Lucci asked him.

"We're aware of you guys," Nami said, deducing the man's identity from Zoro's description. 'Some guy with long hair and a bird!' "You're from the bakery? You guys must be pretty strong, huh? What's the deal with you watching us?"

"So you suddenly lost your tongue?" Lucci asked Sanji, much to Nami's indignation. "You can talk just fine to a bird, but not to a man?"

"Hey! You jerk! I was saying something to you!" Nami growled, Chopper watching the older man look at Sanji for far longer than what was normal. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, blue nose wiggling once.

"Look, yesterday was an off day for me," Sanji admitted, red-faced. He still couldn't look him in the eye, choosing to look at Hattori, at Kaku, at the fine curls that caught the slight afternoon breeze. The man's hair was dark, shiny in the sun – it smelled like the sun; almost like nothing at all. He turned his head in the other direction, quite aware that his cheeks were reddening – he must've looked so _ridiculous_ standing down in front of someone that was intending on intimidating him, and he couldn't do a thing because of his own actions the night before - !

Luffy didn't understand why Sanji was behaving the way he was. The man could not look the other in the eye. In Luffy's vision, he was standing demurely, with an obvious flush to his cheeks that suggested fright. Luffy realized it immediately – Sanji was _afraid_ of this man. That made him an enemy. His fists balled suddenly, but Kaku stepped up against the other man's back to face Luffy, suddenly brandishing a pair of swords that made Nami yelp, stepping back once she realized a fight was going to happen.

Lucci studied Sanji for a few moments, then exhaled slowly through his nose. "I get it. You're mad because of what I did to your man."

"He stepped in for me because I'm an idiot, and he's a good man!" Sanji snapped in sheer embarrassment. "Look, you want to stand here and talk shit, go ahead. But you'll regret it. _Later_."

"I don't think I will."

"This is the second time you've stepped in too close," Sanji warned him, foot shifting back, turning his upper half to the side. When he sent his foot out in a teeping kick, Lucci was already out of range. Sanji figured it was his own injury that kept him from striking too fast, wincing as he set that foot down to steady himself. His hand moved to the waistband of his jeans before he caught himself. It didn't hurt as bad as yesterday, but it was definitely a pull.

Those dark eyes coursed over him. Sanji felt so embarrassed. He should've stayed home. But in Luffy vision, he only looked defeated and meek; Nami wanted to know why Sanji was so mortified, trying to figure out why the act. Chopper gaped up at the bird that fluttered about, wearing a jacket. He had to ask it how it could fly with a jacket on, sure that it hindered its flight pattern.

"I see. You're injured. That's a logical reason for not being able to back up your words," Lucci said. "I'll let it go. Strawhat. A moment."

"Who are you?" Luffy asked, Kaku stepping out of the way to allow them to talk.

"We'll meet formally Friday. Listen. The more of a mess you allow to happen, the more I think a stronger team should replace yours," Lucci said, looking down at Luffy with a slight frown. Hattori returned to sit on his shoulder. "And I think I'm getting tired of baking."

"Why? You're tired of eating your own works?" Luffy asked curiously.

Lucci stared at him, unsure if he were serious.

"I mean, if _I_ were a baker, I'd be eating all the time! I love batter," Luffy confessed. "And the finished product's always the best!"

Nami laughed deliberately loud, wrapping her arms around his face and jerking him back once Lucci's face seemed to darken. He looked at Sanji, who looked in the other direction once more.

"This _child_ runs your group? He knows nothing about us! And he chose to take on this role?" he asked, in angry disbelief. "How could he not be educated on how this works?"

Sanji finally looked at him with impatience, saying, "We haven't talked about it. He's been busy trying to keep everyone from killing each other, and from messing up the city. We'd hoped he had a better idea of what you guys do by the time we met."

"How could you follow someone so _asinine_?" Lucci asked him. "This child knows nothing about how this world works. Why are you not in charge? Zeff made this happen. Isn't it natural that you follow in his footsteps?"

"That's a personal issue," Sanji told him. "It's none of your business – "

"You're a Vinsmoke. You should've been one of us."

"I'm a _Blackleg_. Zeff's my family, but he did everything he could to keep me out of it until recently – er, a few years ago."

"Yes, I heard you went missing. But it's in your blood to do what we do."

"I'm not that sort of person."

"Then what sort of person are you?" Lucci asked with a near curious tone.

"For heaven's sake, Lucci, don't forget that we're still standing here," Kaku said, a little embarrassed as he glanced at Nami and Luffy. "Gosh darn it."

Nami looked at him, amused at his old man's hunch, his Ned Flanders tone. "We have the same color hair," she pointed out, holding out her ponytail.

Kaku frowned at her, momentarily stumbled with his serious tone. "So we do."

"Twinsies!"

"I don't think so," he said nervously, unable to stop himself from looking at her abundant chest.

"Say, listen, is it true what they say about us?" Nami asked him, sidling in close as Luffy continued watching Lucci talking to Sanji, looking for the fight that he knew was there.

"What do they say about us?" Kaku asked cautiously, keeping his limbs close to himself as she brushed against him.

"That we gingers do it better."

"Do 'what' better?" he asked, confused.

Nami just smirked knowingly at him "Maybe not all of us, then."

"I really don't understand what you're saying."

"Why aren't _you_ in charge of these idiots?" Lucci was asking Sanji, stepping in such a way that he blocked off Kaku's sputtering and Nami's flirting from his own line of vision. "It seems only natural that you would. I don't understand."

"I hate repeating myself." Nervously, Sanji stepped back, too aware of the man's presence so close to him. Those black eyes of his stared down at him with such intensity that his tongue almost refused to create proper words. And he felt a nervous anxiety in his chest, because he felt _too_ aware of this man – unfairly so. The only one that had given them these feelings was trusting him to be fine on his own, and all Sanji could think about at that moment was getting home to him.

On that note, he turned away because what if Law were somewhere nearby? Like yesterday? He felt like he was doing something wrong. He felt flustered.

He felt strong fingers on his arm, forcing him to turn around to look back him.

"Don't turn your back to me. It's disrespectful."

"You're a non-threat," Sanji told him, jerking his arm out of his grasp, back to him again.

"I usually kill from behind," Lucci retorted.

"Only a coward refuses to look into their victim's eyes," Sanji said to him, stepping out of his path as he searched for Chopper. That murderous sensation increased suddenly, and this time, Luffy's arm shot out and slammed into Lucci, Sanji turning once he realized that Lucci had intended on grabbing him again. This time he grabbed hold of Luffy and pushed him back, and kicked backward to knock Lucci a distance away. Kaku whirled away from Nami, but Nami used that moment to put all her strength and power into swinging her purse grandly, slamming it off his face.

Once Kaku stumbled, she grabbed Chopper, and raced behind Luffy as he straightened and Sanji took his side, all of them facing the man that straightened from his hunch.

"All of you! Calm down! Look, formally, we'll come together as our separate groups to come to a deal," Sanji said hastily, holding Luffy's shoulder firmly as a warning. "I'm sure we'll be more effective to talk once we're all better informed about certain topics. For you to approach us in this manner, that shows a clear sign of disrespect. We'll give you ours by giving leave, now. We're walking away. Our business is done, here."

"Let's go, Lucci, this is over," Kaku cajoled, hands out in a placating gesture.

"So be it," Lucci muttered. "For now. I had only want to express my feelings on the earlier skirmish between Crocodile and Hogback."

"Prepare yourself for Friday!" Luffy said with a frown, making to walk away. Then he turned with a hopeful expression. "You'll bring cake, of course?"

Lucci stared at him for a few moments, then said, "You're my next assignment. I will make sure of that."

"As long as you bring cake - !"

"C'mon, stupid!" Nami growled, dragging him off by his ear, Chopper following closely. With one last glance at Lucci, Sanji walked along with them, feeling awkward about the entire encounter.

 **: :**

That evening, dinner was on the table when Law came home. Chopper was seat in his usual spot, and he narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man, Sanji putting down the serving platters. Once he saw that Law was there, he went to him immediately, giving him a tight hug and a kiss that lingered a little too long. He was surprised by the contact, especially in front of Chopper, who looked at them with dismay. In Chopper's eyes, he thought Sanji was only treating Law nice because dinner wasn't set out on the table, and he expected a scene later on, considering what Chopper had to say.

His lower jaw trembled as he felt anxiety for Sanji.

"Welcome back! How was your day?" Sanji asked Law, still holding onto him.

"I'm back. That was really nice," Law said, removing his glasses, as they'd fogged up.

"Come sit. Dinner's ready. It's your favorite!"

After Law washed his hands and took his usual spot at the table, Sanji then served him, then made a plate for himself, sitting next to him. The three of them ate in silence until Chopper said, "We had a really scary day, today. Two men tried to fight Luffy and Sanji."

"You were with Luffy?" Law asked, mouth full.

"Mm. Yes. We met up with them – after doing some things," Sanji said, wiping his mouth. "There was a ruckus near Lotus and Third, and it was Crocodile and Hogback, fighting over a restaurant. It was handled nicely, actually. Nami pointed out their boundary lines, and they backed off. Surprisingly easy. After that, those two men showed up. They were watching."

"What was his name?"

"Lucci. I don't know if that's his first or last."

" _Bastard_. You were able to fight, today?"

"No," Sanji said with a mutter, embarrassed. "No – tomorrow will be different."

"You heal fast," Law told him, patting his arm.

"What did you do, today?" Sanji asked curiously, reaching over and pouring himself more ice water. Then he stood and poured Chopper more juice, pushing the cup away from the edge of the table before returning to his seat.

"You're such a mother homo," Law said with amusement.

"Shut up! Stop looking at me!"

"But I like you."

"Hah, I guess I like you, too," Sanji said, leaning over and kissing him again, not caring that the man was chewing his food at that moment.

Chopper's nose wrinkled, listening to the change of tone in their voices, the way they looked at each other. But he was pretty sure this was only the calm before the storm. Law was looking at Sanji in _that way_ again.

He cleared his throat. "Sanji, that man knows you're a Vinsmoke. How does he know that?"

"Uh, well, those two work, I guess outside the syndicates, as a third party," Sanji said with discomfort. "For example, they – "

"If someone acts up, they get killed," Law told Chopper. "These guys do that because the syndicates can't kill each other. That encourages anarchy. Once anarchy occurs, the wheel is dropped."

"What I understand, so far, is that the Strawhats make sure people follow rules. They are who they go to whenever someone has a hard time with another," Chopper said. "So the Strawhats sort it out. The syndicates can do what they wish simply because they exist, but they have to contribute to the city for their troubles, and not overpower the others. Crime cannot be eliminated, it can only be contained. This third party…kills whomever is out of line? Wouldn't that be the Strawhats' position?"

"No, because the Strawhats are supposed to remain neutral. No favorites – but there are times when someone steps out of line, and commits an unforgivable crime that needs to be shut down. The bakery does this – their secrecy is important. If people recognized who they were, I'm sure they couldn't work for that organization, anymore."

"What constitutes an unforgivable crime?"

"Harming family members of syndicate heads, who forever remain neutral until they themselves declare loyalty to whomever they wish to work for. Crimes against children. Crimes against each other. Something massive that no syndicate head can condone, or if one head attacks and kills another. They can fight, but they can't kill."

"And, Law? Your party?"

"We just come to fuck shit up and leave."

"They have loyalty to nobody in the circle," Sanji explained to Chopper patiently. "Cora might be his father, but he's not part of their group. I might consider him a close roommate – "

"With benefits."

"—but I keep my business to myself, and he does the same. He's another third party, but in actuality, because he's Cora's son, the bakery cannot touch him, because Cora submitted a testament in that Law is his son, therefore, he's family."

"I see. And the only reason why his party exists was because of the White Rabbit, wasn't it? I remember you had a personal vendetta against it," Chopper said to Law, lowering his fork. He then looked at Sanji. "So I'm your family, right?"

"Yes. You're not to be touched."

Chopper felt happy at this verbal confirmation, beaming at him. "Asshole, this doesn't make me feel good in any way."

"Please eat," Law told Sanji, noticing that he hadn't touched his plate since he sat down. "Listen, Momo – "

"For the last time, it's _Chopper_!"

" – it's interesting that you're learning. I'm think I should turn you in to the city scientists so that they can find out why a dog can talk the way you can."

" _Shut up_!"

"Not at the table," Sanji said with a sigh. "I swear, old man, act your age. Not your uncle's."

Law dropped his fork and stared at him, causing amusement to spread over Sanji's face as he tried to ignore it. But once he caught sight of his expression, he tried hard to kill the grin that only grew. He put his fork down, trying to stifle a laugh. When he felt Law's hand squeeze just above his knee, he jerked away, pushing away from the table. Law held that grip, and both of them stumbled over the chairs. Chopper looked on in horror as Sanji hollered out, the table clattering violently as someone hit the legs, drinks spilling over the coasters.

He struggled to get out of his chair, just in time to see Sanji laughing as he pushed against the other man, who mumbled something that sound utterly threatening, but he kept squeezing Sanji's leg, causing the man to kick out, struggling against him.

"STOP HORSE BITING ME!" Sanji shouted, followed by apologies, but Chopper wasn't convinced by the kiss Law placed on the man's laughing mouth, helping him up from the floor. They hugged, kissing again, and Chopper walked around them suspiciously, looking for signs of a wound from this 'horse bite'. He was almost stepped on, annoyed that he was forgotten – but once he realized just how _happy_ both of them looked with each other, he felt himself relax.

He went back to his side of the table, wearing a skeptical expression as they kept kissing, _touching_ each other, forgetting about their dinner. He didn't know how they could forget about dinner – the roasted fish was delicious, and the vegetable broth was so light in flavor, and filling. Then he frowned at them again, utterly confused at their conduct. When they finally sat down, he had to admit, he liked seeing their smiles and their cheer towards each other.

He wasn't familiar with this behavior. Having grown up with Dr Kureha and Dr Hiluluk, the old persons didn't display this sort of action with anybody. There were no kisses, no rough housing, no threats uttered with physical expressions of love. He was pretty sure he hadn't seen it in the documentaries he'd watched, and while Kureha had the book material, he'd never been interested enough to look into romance between men. This was his first actual venture in this world.

He heard them tell each other 'I love you' many times, and sometimes he caught them looking at each other affectionately, and their voices at night assured him that no crime was being committed – _sometimes_ – but he was starting to think that maybe the violence he witnessed wasn't actually violence at all.

: :

Zoro laughed, Ussop sputtered, and Robin chuckled as Chopper faced them the next day. With an indignant glare, hooves on his hips, he asked, "What's so funny?"

"You honestly thought Law was a _vampire_?" Ussop repeated, laughing.

"You don't understand! He kept 'eating' his neck!"

"I'm both disturbed and amused at the same time!"

"You aren't familiar with relationships, Chopper?" Robin asked curiously. All of them were dressed and ready to attend the meeting with the bakery that afternoon. Nami, Sanji, and Luffy were in the kitchen, Sanji making Luffy a lunchbox and snacks for just in case moments, while Nami talked about the agenda that she'd received earlier. "Please understand, that this type of violence isn't what you think it is. They love each other very much. They knew each other since they were children. They reconnected, and eventually fell in love. I think it's romantic, to find someone so close to you, that you can't imagine living without."

"But it's so…he's so _violent_ with him. Sometimes Sanji tries so hard to be nice to him as he comes in the door, but then Law's taking him to the bedroom to hide what he's doing, and Sanji _cries_ \- !"

"OH MY GOD," Zoro and Ussop exclaimed with horror, covering their ears, reeling back violently from the reindeer while Robin laughed again.

"Come," she said, pulling out her phone. "Let's go outside and talk. I will show you something very interesting to prove that what you're hearing is not violence at all."

"Robin is pulling out a PornHub application," Ussop reported to Zoro, as they stepped out onto the balcony. "I feel this is definitely very wrong."

"The fact that she has the app on her homescreen, or that she's showing perverted stuff to a reindeer?" Zoro asked.

Both of them shuddered.

"We're leaving," Sanji said to Law once the man made an appearance, dressed to weather the chilly temperatures outside.

All of the Strawhats were dressed nicely – the women were in fitted dresses with low heels, the guys in nice pants, slacks, or chinos, with shirts in various degree of formality. Sanji was the only one in a suit, and Law didn't like it, mainly because the deep maroon color and light blue tie complimented his coloring much too nicely. He knew other men would notice the fit of it right away, so he did not approve. Sanji would not stick to the clothing choices that Law had set out for him – sweats and a sweater; if worn with confidence, meant business, too, he'd assured him. Of course, Sanji didn't think so.

Luffy turned towards Law with his boxed lunches, saying, "I'm sorry, I can't share this with you."

"I already ate." To Sanji, Law said, "Good luck."

Sanji nodded. "Don't be telling Chopper weird things, either. If you feel you can't watch him properly, please bring him to Bepo or Penguin."

"Shachi is visiting, too, he can – "

Sanji looked at him with horror. " _Shachi_ is _here_?"

"I like Shachi! He's crazy," Luffy laughed. His chinos were paired with a black polo shirt that fitted him too well, which suggested that it was perhaps a size too small. He was wearing Converses with his pants, which were rolled up nearly to his calves. It was almost as if he tried, but gave up towards the end. "He'll believe anything you tell him!"

"I'd like to see him later, if you don't mind," Nami told Law. Her low cut dress threatened a spillage as she bent over to fix the strap of one heel. "Both of them!"

"Don't tell Shachi _anything_ about our plans!" Sanji growled at Law.

Law understood immediately. "You're right. I should not."

"You guys have plans? To do what?" Luffy asked curiously, Sanji coaxing him to walk out from the kitchen. "Something fun? We're still in an alliance, you know. Anything you guys do, I need to know about. That's how this works."

When they heard Chopper's scream of horror, all of them looked over, watching as the reindeer ran into the apartment with a terribly distressed expression.

" _ROBIN_!" Zoro and Ussop shouted at her, the woman laughing behind her hand as she shut the application down.

Chopper latched himself to Sanji's leg, practically sobbing as he looked up at him. Then he looked at Law with a snarl, then back at Sanji with a sob, then back at Law with a growl. He couldn't even articulate the foul things he'd seen men do to each other, and couldn't understand how this was physically expressed 'love'. But it made sense why Sanji sometimes cried the way he did.

It made even more sense why Sanji had been walking funny the last couple of days. Hugging his calf, he couldn't decide what he felt, or who to look at.

"What's happening?" Sanji asked with a bewildered expression.

"He'll be fine," Robin assured him. "It's time we go. We want to get there early to make a good impression."

"Take good care of him," Sanji told Law as everyone began filing towards the door. "No threats, no collars, no leashes, no choke collars, no hair dye, and please don't threaten to shave him and make him walk backwards. Don't take him on any wild adventures, don't let Shachi fill his head with stupid ideas, don't let Penguin take him to the zoo. I trust him more with Bepo than I do with any of you, so if you feel overwhelmed, please allow Bepo to take over."

"Penguin found this for us the other day," Law said, holding up what looked like a backpack, but it was open wide at the top, the straps adjustable. Nami couldn't help but giggle, trying to imagine the man wearing a baby carrier with Chopper in it. "If it makes you feel better, I'm sure he'll feel very secure in it."

"I don't know what that is, but if Chopper feels it's okay, then it's up to him," Sanji decided with a restless frown. He handed the reindeer over to Law, Chopper sniffling heavily as he tried to sort out the feelings in him regarding the two men. "I don't know what happened, so try and find out. Chopper, it's okay. Whatever it was you saw or heard, it's probably not that bad."

"We'll be waiting by the car, hun," Nami told Sanji, waving at Chopper and Law before leaving through the front door.

Once they were alone, Sanji stood on his tiptoes to kiss the man.

"Be careful, please," Law told him, a thin trace of concern in his tone. Chopper was squished between them as he reached out and held onto the other man tight with one arm. "You can fight today, right?"

"I'm good! Don't worry."

"Remember, we have plans, tomorrow. You need to be here," he said. "Don't go off on your own. Please text me when you can."

"I will, I will, don't be such a worrywart. Everything will be fine."

Law pulled him back, kissing his forehead, touching his chest. "I trust you."

"Thank you," Sanji told him, smiling at him before kissing him one last time and then hurrying off after the others.

Once the door closed behind him, Law stared at the empty hall for a few moments, registering the silence. He felt worried, and he didn't like feeling that way. He hated the feeling of anxiety that happened, knowing that Sanji was walking into a potentially dangerous situation, but he told himself that all the Strawhats were with him. They were going as a group. He would come back home, Law was sure of it.

Meanwhile, Chopper could _feel_ the anxiety coming off the man, which made him stop feeling so terrible about what Robin had shown him. He looked up at him curiously, which only reminded Law that he wasn't alone, and he quickly dumped Chopper into the baby carrier, the reindeer protesting with muffled action. He then held the backpack away from him, narrowing his eyes.

"We've got a job to do, today," he told Chopper. "It requires your complete cooperation – and silence! Is this understood?"

"Y-yes. What are we going to do today, Law?"

"We're going to do what we always do, Chopper. Try and take over the world!"

" _Really_?"

"No, just go to the park, so Bepo could show off his sick judo throws and insanely talented karate kicks to the kids there."

"That sounds _fantastic_!"

: :

There were six of them altogether. Their head chef was a somewhat mild-mannered man with stringy lavender hair that hung over his shoulders, and his face mask suggested a healing jaw injury. Dressed in a silk shirt tucked into slacks and with curiously long gloves on his hands, Spandem looked nothing like a baker, Luffy noticed. Looking around the room, he was disappointed to see that no one had brought treats. It was a good thing Sanji made his lunchboxes, he decided, swinging his feet lightly between the legs of his chair, holding onto the items on his lap with a determined face.

The six were staring at him with expressions of bewilderment, and he understood that they were offended by his age, but this time, they were really looking at him funny. He stopped swinging his legs, just in case that had been the motivation behind their looks.

He recognized Kaku and Lucci, the latter of whom kept a glass with ice in it, drinking from it every so often as another guy with long hair – kept in a ponytail – kept whispering to him. The woman would shift the position of her glasses every so often, her pink lips firmly set, and the man with the devil horns for a hairstyle held tightly onto a bottle with both hands, refilling the cup Lucci held every little while. All of them looked as if they'd left the set of the Scarface movie – dressed in black, expensive and tailored, all of them with frowning expressions directed at the lot of them.

"It's so much different from the images you see on the computer," Spandem confessed, staring down at Luffy, then at the other Strawhats. Luffy and Ussop sat in two of the chairs before his desk, while Robin sat in the main cushion of the last chair, Nami on her armrest, leaning against her; the other two men stood near the door, watching their backs. Spandem didn't understand how this simple faced child – were those _lunchboxes_ on his lap? – was in charge of keeping the syndicates in line. He looked over at the only blond of the group, confused as to why he hung back and wasn't in Luffy's place. It would only make _sense_ that Zeff's grandson would take over his position. "You're so…small."

"I get that a lot," Luffy assured him, his voice absurdly loud within the room. It was a large room – located on the last floor of a building downtown, where they had excellent views of the city in all directions. A medical helicopter flew by, windows rattling slightly – the river sparkled in the afternoon sun, and the lake was visible in the distance, clouds rolling over the length of it. "Don't worry, I'm prepared to talk business with all of you! Let's do this together!"

"How old are you?" Spandem asked, leaning over the desk with both gloved hands.

"Finishing my senior year! I'm so excited – FINALLY! Done with school! Of course, I am eyeing college, but then I figured I shouldn't have to rush that, because this is really taking over my time," Luffy answered cheerfully. "I'll probably just end up with an associate's degree in education, or whatever, until I can decide what I truly want to do."

" _Why_?" Lucci stressed with heavy irritation to Sanji, who said nothing from his position next to Zoro. Then he gave an impatient look at the others. "Why are we talking to this _child_?"

"Hold on, now," Jabra said, hand up in his direction as he adjusted his sunglasses over his forehead. "Let's hear him out. Appearances can be deceiving. So, kid, your thoughts on the position of the syndicates today? What do you think about them?"

"Quite honestly, I get bored thinking about it. If they all do what they're supposed to be doing, then it's fine."

All of them waited for an expansion, but Luffy was finished with his opinion. He opened his lunchbox and picked out a sandwich, eating it as Jabra looked at him with open mouthed dismay.

"That's _it_?" he asked incredulously. "What do you think about the position they're taking on, today? The fact that they're taking advantage of your inability to keep them in line? The battles that they've had with you suggests they're mildly upset with what you're allowing them to get away with!"

"If they have a guilty conscience, then I'm sure they'll find a way to fix it on their own," Luffy told him with his mouth full.

" _Why are we listening to this kid_?" Jabra then demanded loudly, looking at Spandem.

Spandem looked at the other Strawhats. The one with the long nose had his arms crossed tightly and was looking off in the other direction with a slight tremble of his body, and the gingery-haired woman was looking at her nails, a little bored. The woman with dark hair had a notebook on her lap, but she was doodling 'Die, bitch' in various scrawls over the lines. The green haired one looked anxious, eager to do something if any of them made a move, and Zeff's grandson was smoking and looking out the window.

He cleared his throat, sitting back down.

"I like your dress," Nami said to Califa, who frowned at her. "Good taste in material, girlfriend."

"That's sexual harassment."

"I was just complimenting you!"

"I didn't invite compliments on my person. I am merely standing here. You chose to make a comment on my body, which I feel is personally offensive."

"You want me to sexually harass you, I have no problem doing it!"

" _Sir_ ," Califa complained to Spandem, who twitched slightly.

"Is it triple D, or F?" Robin asked her curiously.

"Oh, I shop elsewhere. F," Califa answered seriously. "Victoria's Secret is a joke when it comes to sizing."

"How is that _not_ sexual harassment?" Nami asked her, rising from her chair in a show of indignation.

Spandem cleared his throat noisily as the women's voices rang out, intending on continuing his conversation with Luffy.

Califa looked at him sharply. "Sir."

"Ah…yes?"

"That's sexual harassment. None of us wanted your opinion on the matter. This was between us, there was no reason for you to step in with your judgment. Your lechery is not appreciated."

"I JUST CLEARED MY THROAT! _Strawhats_!" he then shouted, flustered by Califa's tone. "The problem that brought us together today is for the fact that the syndicates are utterly out of line. They're taking advantage of your inability to control them. They don't have confidence in you. As a result, all the orders that we take are sitting on the burner – "

"He's not talking about cake," Ussop interrupted Luffy hastily, as Luffy made to ask a question. Luffy sat back in his chair with a pout, and looked for another sandwich in his box.

" – and some of my agents are growing irritated," Spandem finished slowly, frowning at them. "It has been mentioned that perhaps _we_ should be the ones to step in where you fail, to."

"First off, _I_ chose to do this," Luffy said firmly. "Mostly because it looked exciting! Everyone is so strong and amazing, and there's never a shortage of fights between them! But I honestly didn't think that these guys would duck out of their responsibilities the way they did. I thought they'd be good guys and keep doing what they were doing once Zeff stepped down. Besides, Mihawk thought I'd be good for the position."

Zoro didn't miss the twitch Spandem made when Mihawk was mentioned. He had to smile, because even if he were retired, people still feared the man.

"And I am!" Luffy continued, stuffing most of his sandwich into his mouth and talking like that. "Most of the time, the guys listen to me when I approach them. And we're getting along. I didn't realize how much I'd be babysitting, but _whatever_."

"There's more to this than just 'babysitting'," Spandem stressed. "There are rules that are being broken! There are bills to pay! And none of them are stepping up to do so! I have all these backorders that you must look over and sign off, on."

When he indicated a pile of papers on the corner of his desk, Luffy looked at it. He looked back at Sanji, who nodded to answer his unasked question, then looked at Spandem.

"I'm not signing off on people's lives," he said firmly. "First of all, who gives us the right to decide who lives and who dies?"

The entire group stared at him with dismay. Lucci put his glass down, Hattori fluttering his wings anxiously. Spandem reacted by rising up from his seat once more.

"For one," Spandem said tightly, picking up the top sheet of the pile, "this meatbag decided to take his frustrations out on a family member. Instead of renting a prostitute for the night, he decided to use his thirteen year old niece. This piece of shit here embezzled thousands from a children's hospital on a head's behalf – the head didn't authorize it, but he has to take the necessary steps in order to have this situation 'fixed'. THIS one is plotting on killing her own family to run off with a lover from a rival faction – shouldn't the family be valuable?"

"Turn it into law enforcement, I'm sure they'll do what's necessary," Luffy said incredulously. "Why should it be up to you?"

"WHY, YOU - !"

"Justice isn't up to you. It isn't up to a group to take the life of someone that's committed a crime that hasn't been proved. That's up to the justice courts to decide."

"This is a waste of time!" Lucci snapped, rising from his chair. "Obviously, he's not even capable of taking the matter seriously! Let's get rid of them, and get on with our lives!"

"There are rules we have to follow as well, Lucci!" Spandem snapped at him. "Drink your juice and sit there quietly while I handle this!"

Lucci's fingers curled around his glass so tightly that it shattered, shards and ice falling to the floor in a show of temper. But he dropped the mess where he stood, and sat slowly, glaring at Luffy so intensely that Luffy stopped chewing to look back at him. Blueno patiently replaced the glass with another, scooping ice up from a nearby bucket and filling it before passing it to Lucci.

Shaking slightly, Spandem returned his attention to the Strawhats.

"This isn't how things are done, here," he said with noticeable effort. "Since Zeff helped with the creation of our organization, we've done everything we could to cull the sickness from the origin points of crime here in the syndicates. We're appreciated and feared, and respected. Our work is professional, it's necessary, and it seems that you don't fully understand why we exist."

"Just because you murder one bad guy doesn't make you the good guy," Luffy said patiently. "I think the point of the matter is, how do we know a crime has been committed? Where is the proof of a necessary killing? How do you guys evaluate that? Or do you just take phone calls and go kill someone that might've been set up?"

"We take necessary steps to verify the claim," Spandem assured him, patting the pile with one gloved hand. "If you request, we can give you the file associated with the order, and you can see for yourself."

"I'll look at that," Sanji volunteered.

Luffy looked back at him. "But, Sanji, I don't think it's necessary for people to kill other people."

"I understand, Luffy, but I'm curious about this backup they mentioned for each call."

"Oh, okay. As long as we talk about it, after."

"Everyone is getting restless," Spandem added. "While fully aware of their own transgression, each head has mentioned that they lack confidence in your group. You've done nothing to prove that you should be where you are."

"Well, maybe you should be disbanded," Luffy suggested, much to Ussop's and Nami's horror as the entire group blanched. "You're not needed."

The resulting heavy silence was suffocating. Zoro touched his forehead with exasperation, looking at Sanji, who looked at him with a frown. Robin looked at Luffy with curiosity.

Hattori took sudden flight, Sanji elbowing Zoro with warning.

Luffy plucked out a container full of grapes and kiwi, intending on dumping it into his mouth while Spandem stared at him with his mouth open. He looked back at the man behind the desk, saying, "I mean, it was a good run, and all, but I think –"

His hair fluttered as Sanji appeared practically out of nowhere to land a foot against the jaguar hybrid that meant to attack him. Spandem ducked to avoid the massive body that slammed over his desk. Zoro was there in moments to block the swing of Kaku's swords as he meant to defend his teammate, Ussop shrieking as blades missed his head by millimeters.

Nami jumped out of her chair, and Robin put her files away carefully, leaning over her knees at the same moment Califa leapt forward, catching Nami with one heel against her gut. Robin's movement ensured the avoiding of a headshot. When Robin straightened up and looked around, she saw that the guys were fighting with the group, the roar of animals overtaking Spandem's screams of horror. She approached his desk and leaned over it, hearing Luffy's loud laughter as he dropped his lunchbox to join the battle.

"You and I will now talk," she said, palm on his chin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The man was strong, frustratingly fast. Every kick Sanji threw out, Lucci was that much quicker to avoid it. No matter what Sanji did, Lucci had a way to parry off a chance hit, and return one of his own. Sanji ended up frustrated with his inability to catch the man, so he kicked him out one of the windows, instead. He was sure Spandem didn't mind the damage caused to his office – after all, both swordsmen had left slash marks through the walls, Nami and Califa had left body-sized imprints on the walls, Ussop had forced Jabra and Blueno into a corner with one of his carnivorous plant bombs, and Luffy had sent both agents to the floor below theirs with one punch.

In free fall, Lucci changed quickly from man to hybrid, and he twisted, caught on to the building wall with those insanely sharp claws of his, and smashed into Sanji with just enough force to send them flying towards the rooftop nearby. He took the hard landing with a grunt, losing his cigarette, but kicked upward the moment his shoulders touched hard surface just to throw the man off him. Once Lucci landed, Sanji was back on his feet and attacking once more. It took some coaxing and maneuvering, but once he had him where he wanted, he faked a kick to the left, then followed with a twisting right that knocked that smirking expression off his face. Once rage registered, Sanji quickly jumped from the roof, hearing the snarl of effort behind him.

He twisted in mid-air just to throw a sloppy kick at the thing lunging after him, and caught the full force punch straight to the chest. It knocked the wind out of him, sent him flying off course, right through a set of windows that shattered once he hit them. He rolled a few times on the floor, disoriented by the time he came to a stop. For a few moments, he saw stars, but the heavy thump of weight, followed by a low snarling caught his attention. He looked up to see the hybrid advancing towards him, and he struggled to breathe in. Ignoring that for a moment, he shot to his feet, and threw out a series of kicks – all of which were avoided easily, the man's faster reaction allowing him to shrug out of the narrow area, avoiding every one of Sanji's actions. Sanji jumped out the window, landing first on a multi colored awning that stretched over the sidewalk, and intended on landing on a passing car. Only Lucci slammed into him through mid air, and both of them hurtled over the street and crashed into the sidewalk, causing pedestrians to scream, running away from the fight.

As long as he was down on the ground, Sanji didn't care. He blocked the claws that hooked towards his face, twisted on his back and kicked upward so that Lucci had to move, and was back on his feet. He glanced upward at the building they'd left, seeing that they were slightly off-course. Throwing another series of kicks at the man, he managed enough space between them to use his 'sky walk' up onto the building next to him, then waited for the man to catch up.

"What is this, hit and run?" Lucci growled, tail whipping suddenly, making the jump look easy. "Is that all you're capable of? In all this time, you managed _one_ hit."

Catching his breath, Sanji licked his lips, refusing to engage in any banter with the man. It would throw off his concentration. He whipped forward with some high kicks, Lucci blocking them easily before he whipped around with a backhand that Sanji barely had time to duck. The moment he righted himself, he kicked upward, catching the hybrid in the jaw. But Lucci grabbed his foot and jerked him off the surface, allowing Sanji that split second to follow up with a heel to the face, forcing him to let go. Once he caught his step, Sanji drove him backward with a combination of lows and highs, until Lucci realized he was near the edge of the roof.

Once his heel touched that edge, Sanji drove forward with a wild swing of an arm, Lucci catching it with a bewildered expression.

"But you never use your hands," he said, Sanji frowning at him before kicking him hard in the chest, knocking him off balance. Lucci tightened his grip at that moment to pull him with him.

He twisted in mid-air, and slammed Sanji back first into the pavement below. It knocked the wind out of him once more, every bit of the hybrid's weight crashing over him, rendering him still as pain washed over him. As he struggled to breathe, Lucci changed form again, leaning over him as he straddled his mid-section.

His expression had finally changed, long hair dangling between them as he stared down at Sanji with a rapacious air. Sanji didn't like the position he was in, suddenly realizing the look as Lucci's grip tightened on his wrist.

"Well, isn't this a sight," Lucci commented, setting Sanji's hand firmly just above his head; the presence of his extended claws were still there. Sanji put a hand on the knee closest to his armpit, unsure of where to even begin to push. "I wasn't expecting this on the first date, but it'll do, I suppose."

" _'Date'_?" Sanji repeated on wheeze, flushing. "What the hell? _Get off_. Don't talk to me like that!"

"Don't think I haven't noticed the way you've looked at me," Lucci said on a low purr, reaching with his free hand to untuck the tie that had loosened during battle, fiddling with the material in such a way that Sanji reached up to hold onto it himself, sure that the man would choke him with it. "I might not return the expression so boldly, preferring to wait until it's only us, but I _did_ notice."

"I wasn't looking at you in any way!" Sanji protested, mortified that he'd been caught.

"Then why can't you look me in the eye?" Lucci asked him, pulling on his tie to force him to look back at him. Pulling him too close. His face reddened, a slight sound of alarm leaving him as he pushed at the knee again, tried to pull his hand down from that hard grasp. The ends of Lucci's curls brushed against his face, and his hair smelled like sunshine and city air, with traces of some cigar. It was a startlingly different scent – completely different from Law's spicy musky scent. It made Sanji feel rotten to notice so much of this other man.

"Because I'm shy!" he growled, launching a kick upward to knock against Lucci's shoulder, forcing him to crouch lower just to avoid a foot to the head. But as he did so, Sanji slammed that foot down, pushed his hip up and twisted them both, effectively forcing Lucci to let go of his tie to catch himself. From there, Sanji pushed away from his grasp, and then he was on his feet. Lucci tackled him hard, and they slammed against the building wall nearby, causing small pieces of debris to rain down around them.

With a leg between his, Lucci was too close to him. Sanji couldn't kick him. His arms were too strong, shifting from his waist to crawl up his form. It was maddening how aware Sanji was of his hands – touching his sides, moving up to his jaw. He realized he needed strength to push away, but he _couldn't_. His chest was frozen, he couldn't breathe, and when he finally made eye contact with him, he couldn't look away for that moment. Those eyes were too black, too _fierce_ , and they looked down at him with satisfaction, and all Sanji could think about at that moment was this was how he'd look in bed _over_ him, and he felt a twist in the gut for that.

" _Stop_. Let go of me," he said shakily.

"Your scent changed," Lucci said slowly, dipping his face close to his. One of his fingers traced over the shape of Sanji's chin, went to his lip, touching it briefly. Sanji couldn't move. He could feel his skin reacting to his nearness, rippling with awareness, and he felt weak. He closed his eyes with shame, guilty with his reactions. He caught his breath at the feel of the other man's lips on his skin – not kissing him, just…lingering there as he spoke against Sanji's jawline. _Smelling_ him. His toes curled in his shoes, much too aware of the other man. "Your loyalty to _him_ is absurdly strong. But wasn't he your only one? Aren't you the least bit curious about being with others?"

Sanji wouldn't admit it out loud – but he did. Wasn't it normal?

He managed to get a hand between them, pushing Lucci's face from his. His hand entangled in his hair, and Lucci grabbed that wrist, bending it in such a way that Sanji dared not move again, the bones close to snapping. He looked at him with real fear, his facial features tensing as the grind of bone upon bone became painful.

His breath caught in his throat as he realized the man intended on kissing him. For a brief, splitting moment, he thought he'd let it happen. What could it hurt? Maybe it'd satisfy some of these horrible feelings. His eyes dropped from those predatory eyes and to those full lips of his, his own opening for the briefest of moments to accept it. But then he could hear Law's voice telling him he 'trusted him'. So he jerked his head back and headbutted the man as hard as he could.

Lucci released him, lurching backward as he touched his nose with stunned action. Sanji lit up another cigarette as he waited for the other man to recover, his wrist sore.

"Never without my permission," Sanji said calmly.

With a venomous glare, Lucci wiped his bloodied nose, slashing his hand downward. Then jerked a hand back, whipping it towards his head. Sanji waited for the physical connection, but those fingers embedded into the wall behind him, causing stone to crumble and break just inches from his scalp. He tilted his head slightly just to pull his hair from his grasp.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't crack your skull in."

"Because you follow rules," Sanji replied.

"I can't kill unless ordered to. But there's nothing in the book that says I can't _maim_ ," Lucci growled low, jerking his hand from the building wall, once again too close for Sanji's comfort. He inhaled of his cigarette, giving him a thoughtful look. Lucci slapped the cigarette from his hand, Sanji feeling the hard warmth of his hands on his face, forcing him to _his_ face. Quickly, he grabbed the man's hair, and closed his mouth over Lucci's nose and blew the smoke as forcefully as he could into his nostrils.

Lucci roared as he changed forms, and sent Sanji flying. He couldn't even stop himself – he slammed into the sidewalk a distance away, and tumbled into some trash cans. He heard the enraged sound of the massive animal, sneezing in between howls. He hurriedly picked himself up, seeing that Lucci's hybrid form was shaking with barely contained fury – then that head of his turned in his direction, eyes red.

Sanji didn't even try to talk his way out of this one, so he booked it to the end of the alleyway with a grimace, hearing the thing give chase. Quickly, to avoid pedestrian involvement, he made his way back up onto the nearest building, a combination office supply and business rental, and ran across the roof. He could hear the roar behind him, the sound of running feet gaining distance between them. But he was relieved to see he was right where he'd wanted to be, turning to see just how far the other man was and giving a surprised curse as Lucci slammed into him. The sheer strength and rage behind his tackle sent them both off the roof, flying through the air.

Lucci held his throat with one hand, the other lifting up as they fell. "I'm stronger!"

" _I can swim_ ," Sanji managed to eke out, grabbing handfuls of his hair and yanking backward as Lucci looked away from his face, and realized where they were headed; right into the river, his expression shifting into surprise before they hit the surface.

Comfortable in this element, Sanji swam out from underneath him, using his large body to kick back up to the surface. The gentle current carried them briefly from the bank, but it was an easy swim to the shore.

"It's _COLD_!" he shouted with dismay, flailing with urgency. Once he grabbed onto the grasses there, a helping hand jerked him out from the water with easy effort.

"Told you you're not a pussy," Zoro said with a grin. They heard another splash beyond them, which both took to be Lucci's rescue party. "But took you long enough."

"Have you ever tried leading a cat to water?" Sanji asked, rubbing his neck as both of them walked away from the riverbank, his clothes making it difficult to present a calm picture.

"Anyway, Robin negotiated a deal with Spandem. He'll let us review the files. And lay off the stalking," Zoro assured him. "He was convinced after she let up on his neck. I wonder if that guy will get the memo in time."

Sanji shook his head. "To be honest, I can't take him on, again. I only won this round."

"He's that much of a threat?" Zoro asked incredulously, practically vibrating with delight.

"Quite honestly, he's too fast, and too fucking strong. The only reason why I won is because I fight dirty. He won't fall for my efforts, again."

"My turn, next," Zoro said, pointing at himself. He then reached out, a one armed hug around Sanji's shoulders. It still startled Sanji how free this Zoro was with his physical affection; a part of him expected pirate Zoro's actions. "Still, you must be over that stretched muscle, huh?"

"Hah hah! Yes."

But instead of celebrating the win, Sanji couldn't wait to take a shower. To try and wash away these ugly feelings of being attracted to another man, shamed at how easy he was going to accept another man's lips on his.

: :

He texted Law as soon as he was could, then hit the shower as soon as he made it home. He tossed his ruined clothes towards the trashcan, then stood under the hot spray. He scrubbed hard from head to toe, feeling guilty the entire time. He didn't _understand_. He had everything he wanted in Law. Maybe the man wasn't the hot model wife that Sanji had dreamed of as a child, but the man was absolutely close to every bit of domestic idealism he could have.

He gave Sanji everything he wanted, and everything Sanji never thought he needed. Law treated him gently and carefully and was stubborn when Sanji needed it, and he just couldn't _understand how he desired another man_.

Why that was he feeling so restless? Every day was still a learning experience; but he tried to look at how losing out on three years gave him opportunities to learn about the world with a new set of eyes. Sometimes it was difficult; he knew he grew frustrated a lot over it. But where was this restlessness coming from?

Now, every time he closed his eyes, he could feel Lucci's face against his, and his skin _wanted_ that contact, missing out on the chance to taste another man's mouth, and his gut twisted with anxiety and guilt because he _shouldn't feel this way_ \- !

"How did it go, today?" Law asked him from the other side of the shower curtain, opening it to reveal himself standing there with Chopper in the baby carrier, the reindeer looking at Sanji in delight.

Sanji almost covered himself with a shriek because he hadn't heard either of them return home, and Chopper shouldn't be looking at him, he was _naked_ for fuck's sake -! Then he remembered that he was reindeer, and Law had seen him naked plenty of times, and –

"Well!" he answered on a squeak, jerking the curtain back over himself. Then he reopened it to look back at them, bewildered at the sight before him. At confirming that Law was carrying Chopper in a baby carrier, he sputtered with laughter. Then he frowned, staring at him with a look of suspicion. "What are you _wearing_?"

"Him," Law answered, adjusting the straps.

"Where did you wear him to?"

"The park."

Sanji's eyes narrowed, pulling the shower curtain closer to himself as Law looked at him with concern. "The park? Where all _women_ go with their children?"

"I thought he could run off some of his rambunctious energy, there."

"He took me to the goddamn _dog_ park!" Chopper said indignantly.

Sanji sucked his lips between his teeth. He tried not to laugh at the thought of Chopper standing there amidst all the dogs, glaring at the man, but the sight definitely made him sputter. He cleared his throat, then said firmly, "You're not allowed to do this, anymore."

"What? Why?" Law frowned down at Chopper, who looked up at him with a puzzled expression of his own. "It makes it easier like this, then – "

"Because people will be _looking_ at you."

"I'm sure I can't help that, being that he's a dog with antlers."

" _REINDEER_!"

"I _meant_ , people will come up and talk to you, because how common is it for men to walk around the city, carrying a baby reindeer with them like a baby? Don't you think it'd call for curiosity? I, for one, would be intrigued by the sight of a handsome man partaking in a baby fantasy, so I just don't think you should do this, anymore, considering your anti-social reputation," Sanji said with a light sniff. "I'm only looking out for you."

"My rep will be tarnished, a little," Law said with concern. "And I don't like talking to strangers…"

"So please don't," Sanji said, looking at him sweetly.

Chopper looked at Sanji with concern. "We had a lot of women commenting, wanting to take pictures - !"

Sanji glared at Law. Law reached over and closed his fingers over Chopper's snout when he made to talk more of the subject.

"Did you get into a fight today, Sanji?" Chopper asked curiously, eyes coursing over him.

"I did. Let me get dressed, please. And…take him off. I'll start dinner in a bit. Zeff's coming over, we're going to talk about our meeting."

"I'm glad you're okay," Law told him, leaning over to kiss his ear, and Sanji felt ten times more guilty, jerking away from the touch. Law gave him a puzzled look, but since Sanji was turning off the water and reaching for a towel, he turned and left the bathroom, unlatching the straps so Chopper fell onto the bed with a muffled grunt.

"It didn't go that well," Sanji confessed minutes later, creating a marinade for the cold slabs of chicken nearby. "Luffy basically told the head baker that they weren't needed, and should be disbanded. So the group took offence."

"I see."

Sanji wasn't looking at him. Every one of his actions were short and hurried, and his shoulders hunched, head low – he spoke too hastily, and he was chewing the inside of his cheek like it were a second meal.

Law narrowed his eyes. "Did you lose one of the three chances I gave you?"

Sanji looked stunned for a moment, gears turning. Then he exclaimed, " _Yes_! That's it. I… _yes_. I…um, I battled Lucci. And…I'm pretty positive that I won't, again."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Um…just…just my pride," Sanji mumbled to the cutting board. "But I used the river. Guys with abilities like yours, they can't swim."

"I never even thought of that," Law admitted, drumming his fingertips atop of the counter. "That's creative thinking. He's very fast. He evaded my Rooms before I could fully create them. The next time, I figured I'd have one ready."

"I don't want a next time for either of us. What did you do today?"

"We set up a scavenger hunt for Shachi!" Chopper said cheerily, lowering his cup to the counter. "He has to find his car keys and all his things within the next 48 hours, or he isn't getting his phone back."

Sanji looked at Law sternly. "Did you make it difficult for him?"

"I did," Law reassured him. "And definitely away from the part of town I intend on taking you."

"I'm really looking forward to this," Sanji told him, smiling.

"What's a 'date'?" Chopper asked curiously.

"Two people enjoying the other's company."

"But you two do that all the time."

"The point of a date is to get laid – "

"LAW!" Sanji snapped at him. "Don't tell him stuff like that! Listen, a 'date' is getting to spend time romantically together."

"But you do that already," Chopper pointed out.

"A date is different. It's two people going out with each other and enjoying each other's company in public. There's no such thing as 'speaking too much time together', because even if I go to sleep and wake up with him next to me, he's my last and first thought every night and morning, and every day with him that he makes me laugh is every night worth spent in his arms. So more of this spent with him is definitely the best!"

"I see," Chopper said, not really seeing the point of it.

Law looked at Sanji with mute awe, feeling his cheeks and ears warm in that someone thought of him this way. Even after the things he said and did, Sanji still thought of him as someone worth speaking such things about. Sanji smiled at him, trying to ignore the warring confusion within him that whispered otherwise after the events of this day.

When Zeff arrived, he was carrying a covered platter of something that smelled amazing. Sanji was offended, snapping his head around to look at the man with insult.

"Calm down, it's only part of yesterday's leftovers," Zeff warned him, setting it aside on the counter. The older man's blond hair was slowly turning grey near the edges, and though he was looking at Sanji gruffly, Law knew he was assessing the man's health and wellbeing. Sure enough, Zeff said, "You're not eating enough."

"Six meals a day, old man. Don't come in here and tell me how I should be eating."

"Take this boy out for a hamburger, eh? As much I hate saying that, the crap they serve nowadays, maybe he needs it," Zeff grumbled, opening the refrigerator as Law and Chopper prepared themselves for what was going to happen next. Sanji chopped harder, lips thinning as Zeff examined the shelves. "What happened to your crisper? Those shelves don't work, anymore? That's why there aren't any proper vegetables?

"Get out of my fridge. I didn't invite you over here to judge the content of my food stocks!"

"Listen, the most valuable advice I can give you today is that you not shop for your food at a national brand store. You keep your ass in the other store, where the variety is more extensive, the quality is preferable, and your vegetables won't look like mush when you chop them," Zeff pointed out, looking over his shoulder to the cutting board.

"I'm going to gut you if you don't get out of this kitchen!"

"Ha ha! I'd like to see that, actually! Where's your damn tea? Or did you forget to make it, this time?"

"It's over there on the table, where _you_ go and get out of my private space so I can cook without you breathing over my shoulder!"

Zeff made his way to the table, Chopper looking at him meekly. "Why's that thing sitting on the counter? I don't like fur in my food when I eat."

"Then don't eat," Sanji snapped.

"Zeff, how is your business?" Law asked curiously, wondering how the man could go from enforcer of the syndicates to owner of a small bed and breakfast without feeling restless for action. He supposed it was because of his age, but Law couldn't see himself as capable of such a feat.

"It's busy, as always. Too much to do for such a small place. Weekends are booked for the next six months – I actually have two weddings and a birthday planned for next month."

"You're doing weddings, now?" Sanji asked curiously.

"Ah, old friends."

"People can get married so old?" Chopper asked wondrously.

"It'll be their fourth, respectively. I'm not making a big deal out of it."

"You're such a domestic old geezer," Sanji commented with a snicker. He mimicked the older man as he dumped vegetables into the skillet nearby. "I'm doing weddings now, hurr hurr hurr."

"Oh, shut up! It's good for business if you look at things this way," Zeff grumbled, pouring himself some tea. "Anyway, how did the meeting go?"

"It was…interesting."

"Were they complaining about that kid in charge, and not you?"

"It's been brought up a few times. Chopper, go read a book until I can call you for dinner."

"Aw! But I want to hear, too!" the reindeer protested.

"Yes, but little sponges tend to repeat things unknowingly."

"Argh! Fine!" Chopper stomped to his room with a scowl. He made sure to slam the door to show his displeasure.

Zeff sneered at Sanji. "Who knew you'd be such a mother homo, boy?"

"SHUT UP! ZEFF!"

Law had to repress a laugh because he hadn't expected Zeff to say such a thing, and Sanji glared at him in warning so he looked down at his drink and tried to avoid eye contact.

"Yes, they complained. They complained a lot, but once they started talking about all the backorders, Luffy put his heels in. He didn't agree to the concept."

"It's necessary," Zeff said. "The way I saw it, this was our sense of justice. You commit an unforgiveable crime, you pay the ultimate price. Law enforcement and the justice system nowadays can be skewed because they're made up of human peers and weak outlooks, flawed by certain rules. Victims tend to lose more in the system than the crook, does. But the bakery takes on the tasks and deals an ultimate solution to cull the riff-raff. We've got enough problems as it is, dealing with the crybabies that run their sections of the cities; we shouldn't have to worry about what this foul piece of shit is doing to someone else."

"Luffy doesn't see it that way. He thinks that the justice system should be relied upon."

"The justice system can't touch this system. It's too corrupted. Money goes easily into upraised palms. The bakers take an order, absolve it without question, and the world keeps turning. That's what this world needs."

"I understand," Sanji said, stirring the vegetables.

"Is that how you think of it?" Zeff asked, frowning at him. "Or are you stupid enough to follow along with that kid's views?"

"I have my own."

"See that you do."

"I have a pile to look over."

"It's important to know the family trees. Are you aware of the branches from each family?"

"Most of it."

"Then make sound judgment. Even if that kid doesn't agree, the bakery needs to stay. If you have to, don't tell him what you're doing. Spandem might be a fucking idiot, but he understands how his agency operates, and will cooperate with you."

"I'll figure it out."

"The only true obstruction in your path regarding this issue is yourself. If you can't accept what the bakery does, then you're not fit to stand in this business. You're going to clash with them every once in a while – Spandem feels his agents could do more than what they're doing. And maybe they can. But if you give 'em an inch, they're going to take a mile."

"They felt we weren't suited for this task."

"And you aren't!" Zeff exclaimed grouchily. "I've heard about everything that's happened so far! What the hell is wrong with you and your group?"

"Look, we're doing our best. Sometimes it's not the right way, but – "

"You all are too fucking soft, is why! Instead of running around trying to bark like a big boy, you stay your ass in school and get that degree! Then look into food school for fall, and get a fucking job for the summer!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"There's plenty of culinary colleges around here you could go, to. Hell, move to San Francisco if you still think about it. I'd rather you do that than stay here, actually. Get out and see the world, live a little ON YOUR OWN to discover what sort of person you truly are."

"I _know_ what sort of person I am," Sanji growled, throwing the meat into the oven.

"I have always felt that it was important that you discover yourself by doing something differently. Growing up can be difficult."

"I'm twenty years old, I know what I want."

"You're still a baby. You don't know what you're capable of, just yet! Look, kid, I maybe warmed up to you for just a bit, but I really think Sanji needs to be on his own for awhile," Zeff told Law firmly. "If you can't let him go to do something he should be doing on his own, then you don't love him enough. If you guys don't work out later on down the road, he'll be too dependent on needing someone there for him. _You_ know what it's like to get out and be on your own – he doesn't."

"Old man, honestly, that's the shittiest advice you can give anyone," Sanji snapped at him, knife tossed in the sink. "I decide for myself what I want to do!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I've always told you this. I still feel that it's necessary for you to get your shit in order before you decide to settle down. This may be nice right now, but later on, when you start feeling restless because you haven't experienced enough, you'll make dumb, regretful decisions. I'm telling you this because I know, I did the very same thing you did. And now, at this end of it, I can tell you comfortably, if I could do things differently, I would. There's a lot of regrets," Zeff added gruffly, looking at his tea.

Both men looked at him for some moments, wondering what those regrets were. Then looked at each other, Law with thoughtful worry, and Sanji with a stubborn frown.

"But I'm not you, old man," Sanji muttered. "I'm me."

: :

Later that night, Corazon was making secret plans to have Doflamingo occupied while he stole off for tomorrow night.

They were at a restaurant, their minions crowded around them while Apoo Scratchman and his gang of EDM speedsters were taunting them from the other side of the restaurant, and Doffy was making things worse by falling for the man's actions. There was a lot of fighting happening, and Corazon just needed a minute to get his plans together before he lost track of them.

Seated in one of the back booths, a couple of minions laying cover for him with panicked faces, Corazon looked at his phone – he had all the windows open, and he was looking for veterinarians to treat baby reindeers in case of an emergency. He also had several numbers lined up; Penguin's, Shachi's, Bepo's, Sanji's friend Zoro, Caesar Clown (in case Chopper swallowed something he shouldn't), Doffy's lady friend, Jora (who raised her own boy slash girl) and their old friend, Pica, whose voice often lulled crying babies and whiny toddlers to attention.

He was excited to have this task, actually. Chopper was a very manageable child/pet, and could hold an interesting conversation, but his innocence and child-like wonder prompted anybody into thinking he was a small child, still learning about the world. Corazon really did see this as being a grandparents' task. The only real hitch in his plan was getting Doflamingo distracted enough to not notice he was going to be gone for the evening. Plus, Corazon was sure Doflamingo would be offended that _he_ was asked to babysit and not him.

He put his phone away in his jacket pocket, then entrusted his Vita to one of the minions clutching his chest. Placing himself on 'silent', Corazon picked up his gun and walked to the side exit, hearing Doflamingo's shouts and laughter as he taunted Apoo's fighting ability from afar. Out in the cold night air, he lit a cigarette, then began shooting his way in from behind Apoo's position, intending on trapping the syndicate head in the middle.

: :

When Sanji woke up the next morning, he felt a race of excitement. Law had told him to pack for the night. He wiped his eyes, looking at the man next to him. He felt his face soften at the sight of him. His dark lashes fluttered, and his lips were slightly open, and just the fact that he slept so comfortably next to Sanji spoke so many things to him.

Zeff's words bothered him, though; the older man had always hounded him to 'learn about himself' before settling down – always frowning at the talk of Sanji's domestic intentions after high school – but did any of them ever account for those lost years? When he had been convinced he was someone else, so all these false memories he still carried made it difficult to remember the real memories he had before Dr Hiluluk?

He knew it was an identity crisis he was having, now that he was settled in, working for goals he didn't remember having, but now knew that he needed them. That had to explain his restlessness.

He reached between them, fingertips wiggling for a bit before he stuffed one up the other man's nose, causing him to snort, turning his head from his. When he didn't wake up, Sanji shifted over him, reaching over to plug his nose between two fingers. Law shoved him off with a grumpy curse.

"Good morning!" Sanji said, rolling up against him, fitted front to front with his arms around him. "Time to wake up! What do you want for breakfast?"

"SLEEP."

Sanji combed through Law's sideburns, then the dark hair at his temples, before entangling into the messy mass with gentle action. He leaned up to kiss his nose, then his lips, lingering there for a few moments before pinching his nose closed again. When Law shifted to complain, Sanji blew into his mouth.

Law started coughing and sat up, Sanji took over his pillow with a laugh, feet on his back to push him away from his spot. "I remember doing that when we were kids. Isn't that weird?"

"I remember wanting to kill you for that, too," Law said, twisting around to look at him. He grabbed his leg and pulled him to him, Sanji scrambling to get away, laughing. But the man pinned him down, and started swatting his ass, causing him to shout with pain.

"STOP IT!" Chopper screamed from behind his closed door, both of them ceasing immediately.

"I'm awake. I need to run out and get some things, first," Law said with a yawn, letting him go.

"Me too. I can't wait for tonight," Sanji said, reaching between them to play with his erection, giving him a meaningful look. Shifting his legs alongside his hips, Law leaned down over him, Sanji curling his arms around him to hold him in place. He tilted his head up because he felt Law was going to kiss him. And he did, a gentle place of his lips against his, Sanji feeling his arousal poking him from his position – then blew hard into Sanji's mouth, making him retract away, coughing noisily as Law tossed his legs aside and climbed out of bed.

Sanji wandered out of the bedroom minutes later to have a cigarette, admiring the morning blooming all around him. The city was waking up in the distance, and there were joggers taking advantage of the early hour to take to the sidewalks. A dog barked as it led its owner to the grass nearby. The morning colors were shifting slowly, illuminating the light clouds in the sky, puffy stretches of lace that gave no promises to bad weather. It wasn't the display of open sea that he 'remembered' from his false memories – but it was pretty enough to make up for it.

Then he went back in to go start breakfast, Chopper joining him at that point with a sleepy rub of his eyes, headphones around his neck.

"If you guys are going out, will I be staying with Penguin and Bepo, again?" he asked curiously, climbing onto the stool to look over the counter as Sanji gathered all the ingredients from last night's dinner to remake for today's breakfast. He then started the coffee.

"No, Cora will be coming over to spend the night with you, here," Sanji said cheerfully.

"Awesome! I like Corazon. He's really clumsy, but nice. Do we have fire extinguishers, here?"

Sanji set down the meat, and looked around the place. It suddenly occurred to him that as much as Corazon was going to be babysitting Chopper, Chopper would be babysitting _him_. With some hesitation, he said slowly, "We will find them."

After breakfast was set out, the table beautifully set with nice china and serving platters of food fit for any meal of the day, Law sat and admired the setting before looking over the man that fixed his coffee how he liked it. He had expected Sanji to stop with the elaborate decorating of the table after the first few weeks of settling in, but Sanji seemed to really enjoy serving their meals this way. It was like dining in a restaurant setting every time. When Sanji set his coffee down in front of him, he kissed his forehead and went to Chopper's side to push his cup from the edge of the table.

He was both nervous and excited for tonight, as well. Penguin had told him to 'just be himself', but this was an official date. Penguin seemed to have forgotten that Law had never been on one. And Sanji was the sort of the man that liked this sort of thing, so Law felt a little pressure into making it a memorable evening. But he absolutely had to do this – he promised, and it was to show Sanji that he was capable of doing these sorts of things, too.

He felt anxiety, again, making it difficult to concentrate as he sipped at his coffee. He looked across the table at Chopper, who smiled brightly back at him, as if he were watching him.

Later, Zoro walked with Sanji up to Spandem's office. Sanji had left Chopper with Mihawk, the man not minding the reindeer keeping him company while he delivered the stack of papers he'd looked over the night before to the man sitting behind his damaged desk. None of the agents were around, which left Zoro disappointed.

"These will do," Sanji told him, laying down a thinner stack of papers to the right, the larger stack to the left. Spandem frowned at him. "These unforgivable acts can't be cured in a justice system other than this one. These, well, I made copies of these and Luffy said he'd take care of it."

Spandem gave him a bewildered look. "That's not your role. Ours is to keep the peace outside of the line! You guys have nothing to do with this!"

"I talked him into allowing this much. I think if we can continue this understanding between us, both of us can benefit from the situation."

"Luffy's stubborn as hell," Zoro added. "He won't change his mind about this."

"My agents were expecting a large workload, and they'll be understandably upset seeing their work cut in half," Spandem said, taking the small stack, flipping through it. "It's an uneven number. Some will not benefit as fairly as the others."

"That's something for you to figure out," Zoro said.

Spandem frowned at them both, hands together in a show of patience. "As much as I have power over my agents, I don't have control over their individual concerns. I can't promise anything in regards to their temper or their forgiveness for this action taken today."

"If that's a threat, we're more than ready to rumble again," Zoro told him, unable to stop the grin from splitting his face.

"I'll be out of town this evening," Sanji said to Spandem. "If anyone has any questions or concerns they want to bring up, then they can ask Zoro or wait until I come back."

"Is there another way to reach you?" Spandem asked, lifting an eyebrow. "I'm sure my agents will have plenty to talk about."

"Nope. I will not have my phone on me."

"That's a cowardly way out of this."

"Be as it may, Spandem. Otherwise, talk to this guy, here," Sanji said, hitting Zoro in the chest before turning and walking away, satisfied with the encounter.

Spandem frowned at them both, then looked at the stacks before him. _None_ of his agents were going be happy.

: :

Corazon arrived at the condo by taxi later that afternoon, dressed in a plain pink t-shirt, jeans and sneakers, leaving behind his expensive suits, fur coats and makeup. If he weren't so tall, towering over most of the human race, he would be quite unnoticeable. He had a backpack slung over one shoulder, and he put out his cigarette, tossing the butt behind him. He used the key Sanji gave him for 'Emergencies' and walked in with a cheery "hello!" Chopper greeted him from the dining room table, where he had most of his books and notes spread out, snacks to the left of him.

"Hi, Corazon! You're on time!" Chopper exclaimed.

"We're going to have a great night, tonight!" Corazon said cheerfully, slipping his backpack off onto the table.

"Please don't do anything you'd normally do," Corazon heard Law complain from behind him, so he turned to give him a wounded expression, then froze.

Law was wearing his side collar black shirt with long sleeves, dark jeans, chestnut desert boots – Corazon _hated_ those shoes – and had his hair slicked back from his face. He looked a little self-conscious of himself, fiddling nervously with his sleeves as he frowned up at Corazon. But for the first time in a long time, the effort put into himself gave him a more dashing look; Corazon _knew_ there was a respectable young man in all those brooding barriers that Law put on, and he couldn't help but express himself appropriately.

" _Are you crying_?" Law asked, horrified by Corazon's reaction as he braced himself atop the carpet. Chopper tried not to laugh because he wasn't sure if he should, but he tried his best for a concerned look. "Stop it!"

"I'm just…so _happy_ …you look so handsome!"

"You're so creepy!"

"Where's Sanji?" Corazon asked, wiping his face as he stood up.

"Getting ready," Law said nervously. "Look, there's stuff in the fridge Sanji made that you can warm up if you're hungry. If there is a huge emergency, text me, first. Sanji will not have his phone on him."

"Understood."

Once Law realized that Corazon was taking a picture of him, sniffling, he reacted with his arms up and dashed to the kitchen with a snarl. Chopper was so amused. It was not often that he saw this man reacting so childishly to anybody else, and Corazon was the very image of a doting father; unabashed by his own feelings towards his son. It made Chopper's heart both heavy and happy to see this.

"I missed out on your prom pictures, all high school dances, and everything else where you had to dress up like a human being to go out," Corazon said, adding a border to the photo. "So, tonight, I'm taking pictures. Come here. I need a selfie."

"NO!"

"But I'll probably never see this again! You're so selfish! Let me adore you!"

"NO! Stop it!"

Sanji came out from their bedroom with a curious expression, wondering what all the commotion was about. He was wearing a gingham dress shirt, the collar opened; he'd tucked it into a pair of belted navy cargo slacks, the legs rolled up to reveal his ankles, showing off his black leather shoes. Law had insisted that they get ready separately, so he was curious to see what the other man was wearing, hoping they'd match.

"You like nice, Sanji," Chopper told him, smiling brightly, drawing the others' attention from the kitchen.

"Thanks! Hi, Cora! Thanks for coming over, tonight," Sanji greeted the older man, who emerged from the kitchen with his phone still in camera mode.

"Hi, Sanji! For Instagram!" Corazon said, Sanji automatically posing with a wide smile.

Then Sanji stilled because once Law approached him nervously, all words left him. The man was cutely abashed, holding onto a bouquet of flowers – prettily arranged daffodils, baby's breath and irises in a rich purple color. The stems were crushed with how tightly he held them, handing them to him with a gruff, "For you."

Sanji took them numbly, overwhelmed with the unexpected gesture. He didn't know what to think, breath caught in his throat. He looked from the arrangement to him, utterly dazed as he took in his physical appearance. "T-thank you. They're beautiful."

Law just shrugged because he didn't know what to say, either, but he was taken by the other man's appearance, the way he looked up at him with awe of his own. He felt his face reddening as Sanji stared up at him, holding onto the flowers that he was given.

"You are _so_ cute," Sanji said, finally finding his voice. He leaned up on his tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, holding tightly on the flowers. Law gave him an awkward smile, relieved that Sanji liked the gesture.

Then they became aware of the sniffling, looking over to seeing Corazon trying not to cry. Indignant, having forgotten that he was there, Law whipped away from Sanji while Sanji reddened, flustered as it looked like Corazon had either taken pictures or video of the moment.

"What are you doing? Stop that!" Law demanded, humiliated as Corazon sank over the dining room table, causing Chopper some distress as his snacks were disturbed.

"I'm going to put this in a vase. Then I'm ready," Sanji said cheerily, heading to the kitchen.

Minutes later, after much reassurance from Corazon that he was fine, Law led Sanji to the parking lot. Both of them were in pretty high spirits, eager for a night out to themselves. Satisfied that Corazon had all the numbers he needed, that Chopper was fine with him, Sanji left his phone in their bedroom. When Law approached a white Lexus RX 350 that Sanji had seen millions of times, he was shocked when Law revealed that it was his.

"So you _did_ have a car!" he exclaimed.

"I do, but you're not allowed in the driver's seat," Law told him, opening his door for him. Sanji thought he might be insulted by the gesture, but after some moment's consideration, he wasn't. It was Date Night. Little things like that could happen. He felt his heart beat a little faster as he looked up at Law's neat presentation, so appreciative of the effort put into himself just for him. He even smelled vaguely of some cologne – it had to be one of his friends', because he never smelled it, before. But he was excited that this was an actual date, and he couldn't wait to see where the evening took them.

He leaned up to kiss him. "I love you. This is going to be an amazing evening."

Law didn't know what to say, he was so flustered by Sanji's confidence in him, already. He shrugged again, and Sanji didn't take offense at it because he knew from the man's expression that it was just one of those things where he couldn't vocalize anything, and Sanji was flattered by that.

After they left, Corazon looked back at Chopper with his hands on his hips, wiping his eyes. "I'm so happy for my son! He was so cute! I have all these pictures – I need to pick at least two of them to post on my Instagram account tomorrow!"

"They looked really happy," Chopper agreed, leaning over to smell the flowers arranged neatly in a crystal vase in the center of the dining room table. "I feel happy for them. I'm sure they'll have a great evening, together."

Leaning across the table, Corazon sorted through the pictures he'd taken of Law and Sanji. He'd essentially captured every moment of the flower gifting, the meaningful expressions, the resulting silence of two men overwhelmed by each other's actions – and he couldn't help but become teary eyed again, dropping his face into one arm as he suppressed a sob.

Chopper looked at him with horror.

"He's just…so… _happy_! _They're_ so happy! I've never seen him look that way - ! Nothing in this world could make me feel so proud and happy as a father as seeing my own baby happy!" he heard Corazon cry. He felt vaguely embarrassed for the man.

He reached out with a hoof, patting the top of his head gently. "There, there."

Wiping his nose on his sleeve, Corazon looked at his phone again. He had plans to put them in his scrapbook, the one he kept of all of Law's accomplishments throughout his life.

Seeing that Chopper had colored pencils and notebook paper nearby, he asked tearfully, "Can you draw me some heart borders? It'll look really nice in my scrapbook. I'm going to have these professionally printed."

"Sure," Chopper said, closing up one book. Er…do you want some tissue?"

"Am I ugly crying again?"

"It's making me sad."

"I can't help it. I'm overwhelmed with emotion."

Both of them jumped at the slamming of the door, Shachi barging in with a huff. Penguin was right behind him, looking annoyed. Both of them were dressed for the weather – skinny jeans, contrasting tops, scarfs, vests, beanies that covered most of their head or obscured their features, and Shachi removed his glasses right away once he saw that it was just Corazon and Chopper there.

"Where is that bastard?" he demanded. "I am lost on clue number 47!"

"'Clue number 47'?" Corazon repeated.

"I can help you!" Chopper cried. "Tell me what it is!"

"Law took all of Shachi's things yesterday, and hid them throughout the city," Penguin explained to Corazon, craning his head back just to look up at the man.

"I managed to find my socks and underwear, and I could care less about my shirts, but I need my car keys! My phone!"

"Why would he do something like that?" Corazon asked curiously, as Shachi showed Chopper the list that Law had written for him yesterday.

Penguin shrugged, then looked around. "Did they leave?"

"Yes! Would you like to see?"

"I bet he looks like a dork," Penguin said, amused while Corazon looked at him with insult. When he showed him a couple of pictures, Penguin frowned. "I told him the _other_ black shirt. Ugh, and the _other_ shoes! I hate those ones!"

" _Right_? They should be banned."

"I guess they look alright, together. Both of them need to work on their fashion sense, though."

"That's what _I_ was thinking, but both of them looked so proud in their choices, I didn't have to heart to critique their styles."

"The next time they do this, I think it's important that we pick out different outfits for them."

"That is a _fabulous_ idea!" Corazon exclaimed, liking this guy more and more.

"Hey, fashion police, you told Law what?" Shachi asked, looking over. " _Hah_! Why's he all dressed up?"

"They're on a _date_!" Corazon exclaimed.

Shachi was quiet for a few moments, then he slapped his forehead. Penguin pushed him with a laugh. "God, get a clue!"

"If he just said it was _him_ going out on a date, I would've had better advice!"

"Don't worry about it, I got him covered!"

"Well, it's about time!" Shachi declared. "Senpai's a snob – he wouldn't do any of this a long time, ago."

"Well, he's changed, and he's changed for the better, and I'm so happy for him," Corazon said, both men standing on their tiptoes just to see what else he had pictures of. Usually, the pair of them avoided the taller man – his accident prone actions, combined with his fairly intimidating lifestyle prompted them to keep a careful distance. But dressed down as he was, looking normal and proudly showing off pictures of his son, made them feel safe.

Chopper left his chair, climbing onto the one nearest them. "I'm so happy Sanji was his friend."

"So they truly were friends when they were kids?" Penguin asked. "How did that even work? I bet he was the worst."

"I bet he blackmailed Sanji into being his friend, just like how he did to us."

"Sanji made _him_ be _his_ friend," Corazon corrected. "He was the one that tried hard for his approval."

"I can see that, I suppose," Penguin said. "Well, I'm glad they're out and about. It's about time senpai treated him to something like this."

"So, what's the clue?" Shachi asked Chopper. They all turned to the table where the paper was, and looked over the clues printed neatly there.

"There's one hundred and forty two clues for _six_ items?" Corazon repeated.

"Yeah. He's such an ass."

"What did you do to earn this?"

Shachi looked bewildered. "I don't know."

"Law and Sanji were very upset that you were back in town," Chopper said to him. "They wanted you fully occupied away from them."

Shachi understood immediately. " _Ah_. That's…that's very considerate of them."

"Why?" Corazon asked curiously.

"Hey, I don't even mind this, at all. In fact, let's make a game out of it! Why don't you guys come and help me?" Shachi suggested, looking around for the baby carrier Law had Chopper in yesterday.

"Sanji hid it," Chopper said. "He said that Law was banned from wearing it ever again. It might be out in the dumpster."

" _Boo_! Why would he do that? Not very dignifying for you?" Shachi asked, looking put out.

"I don't think he liked that women kept trying to take pictures of us," Chopper said with a frown. "He was worried that Law would have to talk to them."

Shachi snorted.

"Look in the hall closet, he always hides things in there," Penguin said.

"I don't know, I planned on staying in, tonight," Corazon said with uncertainty. He was mildly curious about the hunt, but he did not want to be spotted by Doffy and his minions if they were looking for him. Since his phone had not yet gone off with his texts or calls, Doflamingo had no idea he was missing, yet.

"C'mon, it'll be fun! Besides, what did you have planned? Movies and a pizza? _BORING_! That's what single people do!" Shachi scoffed. "Cool people go out with friends and do awesome things!"

At the mention of 'single', Corazon moped. But he looked at the list again. " _Fine_. Just for a little while, then."

"Here it is!" Penguin said, finding the carrier in the hall closet, where someone had it stuffed underneath some empty duffle bags.

" _I want it_!" Corazon volunteered with a delighted expression, Chopper looking at him in horror. The man was really tall, and when Corazon tripped on his way over to retrieve the carrier, nobody thought it was a good idea.

Minutes later, all of them posed for a selfie – Penguin and Shachi to the side with peace signs, Chopper hanging from the baby carrier, Corazon with a wide smile on his face. Just as they approved of it, there was a knock at the door that drew their attention to the front hall.

When the man with chest length black hair walked in without an invite, all of them looked at him with puzzlement. Wearing a white shirt that was left unbuttoned at the collar to expose a part of his chest, the hem tucked into black slacks, boots leaving a vague imprint on the carpet, Lucci looked as if he were just leaving some hipster house party. He carried a handful of papers that looked as if they'd been crumbled and straightened out a few times. He paused and looked at all of them, Hattori sitting on his shoulder with a red tie, wings fluffing slightly.

If Lucci recognized any of them, he didn't say anything. He merely crossed his arms as he examined the living area with a slight scowl to his face, obviously not seeing the person he needed.

"We're looking for Sanji," Hattori said, one wing spread in a grand gesture. "We have some things we need to discuss with him!"

"A talking _bird_!" Shachi exclaimed.

"He's wearing a tie!" Corazon pointed out.

"Who the hell are you?" Penguin asked, looking at Lucci and not at the bird.

"This is the man that tried to fight Sanji and Luffy that one day!" Chopper said anxiously, Lucci looking at him with a very slight frown.

"It's only business," Hattori said. "This is a business call. Now, where is he?"

"He left town, he won't be back until tomorrow," Corazon said. "If you were a friend, you should've known that. If this is about business, then it needs to be saved for another time."

"I have thirteen orders here," Hattori said as Lucci held up the papers. "And while they were approved hours ago, it's not something that we find agreeable. We've come to negotiate another deal."

"Like he said, it needs to wait," Penguin said firmly. "Sanji is out of town, and he left his phone with us. He doesn't want to be bothered."

"Then where did he go?" Hattori asked.

"Look, _guy_ , we just told you."

"You don't understand. These are people's _lives_ that we're talking about, and it's our business to - !"

"Are we going to have a problem?" Corazon then asked curiously, hand reaching behind him. Penguin himself was reaching into his jacket pocket, and the bird fluttered nervously. The man made no expression at all, but tension suddenly started to make the room hot. "Or are you just going to leave it as Penguin said, and go?"

Before Lucci could say anything, the door slammed open with violent action, his hair fluttering slightly with the force.

" _CORA_! LAW!" Doflamingo bellowed furiously, barging his way into the hallway with a flair of his jacket.

" _ARGH_!" the four cried in horror, Hattori fluttering away for safety.

"How _dare_ you say _nothing_ about babysitting? I wanted to help!" Doflamingo shouted angrily, pushing past Lucci and marching up to his brother and the two men that hid behind Corazon. Chopper cried, unable to go anywhere because of his position. "How could you hide this from me, brother? I only found out by accident! Stan told me where you were!"

"Goddamn you, Stan," Corazon muttered, thinking of the minion.

"Why would you attempt to hide away from me like this?" Doflamingo asked, looking at Chopper. "Small _dog_. Momo. Wouldn't you rather come along and have a great time with your uncle Doffy, than a boring, uneventful night with your grandpa Cora? More than likely, you'd die from boredom than bullet wounds."

"I'd rather die from _boredom_ than bullet holes!" Chopper cried.

"Look, Doffy, Law entrusted me with their child – _pet_ ," Corazon said, twisting slightly as he unlatched the carrier from his shoulders and gave Chopper to Penguin. Penguin, in turn, put Chopper down on the floor because he was pretty sure he'd need two hands in case anything happened, Doflamingo looking outraged as Corazon told him this.

Meanwhile, Lucci was a little insulted that he was ignored. As Doflamingo stood in front of his brother, Lucci looked around the place. It was beautifully kept. There were houseplants everywhere. The kitchen was sparkling clean, and Sanji's apron hung from the refrigerator handle nearby. He could see the man in it.

When he ventured in, Lucci examined the family photos on the wall. Of Sanji when he was younger, bright and grinning – of him with his friends, with Zeff, a large one of him and Law, smiling happily in each other's arms. He liked that picture. The pair were absurdly cute together. He wandered around the living room, examining their DVD collection, the expensive sound system that accompanied a manly-sized HD tv. He saw where Sanji smoked outside.

" _Hey_!" Shachi said to him, Doflamingo and Corazon grabbing each other's shirts as Penguin tried to separate them with protesting shouts. "You can't just wander around here."

"But I need to talk to Sanji," Hattori said from the entertainment center, catching Shachi's attention. Lucci continued examining the photos on the other wall as the pigeon fluttered his wings with impatience. "It's of grave importance."

Unsure of who to even talk to, Shachi looked at the bird, but also kept the man in his peripheral vision. "It can wait! He's out of town! He didn't even say where he was going! Look, just leave your paperwork on the table. I'm sure he'll see it when you come back. But just in case, let me take your name, and I'll get ahold of them when I find my phone."

Lucci looked at him crossly. Speaking on his own, he asked, "Where is your phone?"

"Well, see, we were headed out to look for it, we've got some clues, and – look, it's none of your business. The point is, he's gone. So, you, _out_."

Lucci looked over at the trio again, then to the reindeer that was struggling in its carrier. He tilted his head slightly with a gesture, Hattori flying to him with a coo.

"Good luck finding your phone," Lucci told Shachi, headed for the doorway. He had to bypass the three that were still arguing, pushing each other, and in the chaos, he picked up the baby carrier with a smooth move, Shachi hurrying to assist Penguin.

Minutes later, Lucci watched as Doflamingo stormed away from the stairs with a huff. He stood up from the parking lot sidewalk, barely managing to catch his attention.

"I'm sure you'd make a wonderful babysitter, considering how much you love children," Lucci told him, holding up the baby carrier, Chopper looking at Doflamingo with teeth-chattering fear.

Doflamingo looked delighted, snatching it from Lucci's grasp, then frowning at him as he outfitted himself into the carrier. Lucci stared up at him with a slightly disturbed expression, the reindeer openly crying. "Who are you, by the way? I don't think we met."

"We haven't," Lucci said, walking off, Hattori waving at Chopper.

Doflamingo frowned after him, adjusting his glasses. But then he looked at Chopper with a huge grin, Chopper looking at him with dread. "We are going to have a good time! I have all sorts of fun things we can do, together! Let's live for excitement!"

Then, because he knew Corazon would realize that Chopper was missing, he raced to the towncar that was waiting nearby. A few minutes later, Corazon, Shachi and Penguin raced out to the parking lot, looking panicked.

" _Oh my god_! I lost their baby!" he cried.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

An hour later, Luffy looked at Lucci with exasperation, a pizza slice hanging from his mouth. Next to him, Sabo looked at the man cautiously, wrapping his chicken wing with a piece of napkin so that his fingers weren't stained by the sauce. Both of them were sitting at the sidewalk's edge, having bought out most of the food truck's wares. They were overlooking the water canal, the city across from them open with wide freeways, moving traffic in side streets, and high rises that glittered as the sun slowly started to sink.

Sabo wore a dark blue tracksuit, collar pulled up high, white t-shirt visible. His shoes were gleaming white, nearly pristine next to Luffy's Vibram shoes. Luffy himself was in basketball shorts and a long sleeve tee to combat the chill in the air, his hat hanging behind him by its string. He had a napkin tucked in his collar to prevent stains, and Lucci couldn't help but stare down at him with disgust.

"Well, to be honest, I'd rather that the entire pile was given to law enforcement," Luffy said. "But Sanji's more gangster than I am. Plus, I trust him to make the better decisions when it comes down to it. If he gave you that much, then there are truly despicable beings in this city."

"That's the _point_ of our job," Lucci said tightly. "We take out the garbage. This – there were more criminals in the stack he disregarded compared to this. Anybody on the street could do this job when it comes to animals such as these."

Luffy shrugged, chomping several times on the slice until his mouth was full. Sabo looked at him with a frown, then back at Lucci, taking a delicate bite of his wing.

"Then what is your problem?" Sabo asked curiously, tinges of an accent in his voice. "As I understand it, _at least_ you have a job."

"The point of the matter is that some of us will not be paid as equally as the others," Lucci snapped at him. "Thus, proving that these nitwits aren't fit for the job they chose to take on! With how long we've lacked a steady paycheck, I am deeply concerned for the wellbeing of my comrades!"

"Half it," Luffy said logically. "If Sabo wants a part of my pizza, and there's only one, I usually give him a bite."

"That's not _half_!" Sabo snapped.

Lucci stared at Luffy in silence. Hattori tilted his head as he examined the teenager as well. With a short exhale, he muttered, "I see. There is no reasoning, or sharing reasoning with you. Your simpleton way of thinking is impossibly…difficult for me to even imagine speaking anything other than…I'm at a loss for words."

"It happens!" Luffy said with a shrug. "I still say that if Sanji feels this is okay, then I trust his judgment more than I trust myself."

"He's out of town! And made it fairly impossible for any of us to reach him, therefore, I am standing here in front of you, asking that you listen to reason."

"Well, I guess you'll have to wait like the rest of us!"

Lucci crushed the papers in one hand, then struggled to relax his grip. Frustration made his features tight, and Sabo watched him cautiously as Luffy pulled a platter of chicken wings onto his lap, uncaring about the man's rising temper.

"This is unforgivable," Lucci growled low.

"Take it up to the committee!" Luffy said with a chuckle.

: :

"Don't even tell them what happened! We can figure this out! More than likely, Doffy has Chopper with him, and I know what he has planned, tonight," Corazon said, looking at his cellphone, the GPS tracker app up as his brother's location pinged merrily. "We can have Chopper back in one piece before those two come back home."

"None of us have our cellphones, because Penguin left his at home because of my overbearing mother. But what if Sanji calls _you_ to check on him?" Shachi asked, Penguin driving with a frown. "Bepo's not around for him to take his place!"

"We'll wing it! Look, take the left turn, it looks like Doffy's headed to the trampoline center," Corazon said, pointing at the light.

"The trampoline center?"

"The warehouse with trampoline floors? We were there last week."

"How old are you guys?" Shachi asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter," Corazon muttered, slightly embarrassed to admit that he had a really good time. His and Doflamingo's Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat stories had been pretty active that day.

Fifteen minutes later, the trampoline center was alive with shouts, screams and gun violence as Doflamingo double jumped anyone that came near him, Chopper crying in his baby carrier. When the call came, Nami looked at the message lighting up her phone, read the description, and forwarded the task to Zoro. Zoro forwarded the task to Robin, citing her more peaceful nature in breaking up a brotherly quarrel. Robin let Luffy know that Doflamingo was holding a trampoline party to Luffy, who was off in a shot.

At the same time this was happening, Sanji and Law were in the tropical fish display, and he looked back at the older man to judge his reaction.

Sanji had a lot of pleasant memories come back to him the fourth time he wandered the walls of the place. When he'd first returned, he hadn't been impressed by the state of fish kept in tanks so people could stare at them. After all, he'd seen much better in the oceans of the Grand Line, and all of the animals were dull and sick compared to those brilliant in someone else's imagination. But after the few times he'd returned, he found it pleasing to stare into the tanks, lost in the flash of fish scales and oxygenated water. Things would come back to him – glimpses of past visits with his friends, and along with it an imaginative idealism of adventure and calm peace; it somehow took over his false feelings of _Been There, Done that_ to make his visits a little more enjoyable.

Sanji was aware of Law's feelings towards 'animals in cages'. After all, he'd said he'd rescued Bepo from a Zoo in Norway years ago.

"Well?" he asked, hands in his pockets as Law looked up to see fish swimming over their heads, the ceiling allowing for pleasant viewing.

"Well…first things first, it smells like fish in here, for some reason."

" _Shut up_."

"Oh? It's not just me that smells it?"

"You overly prissy homo."

"Second of all, it's…nice. I suppose I can see why you enjoy coming here. After all, I'm sure Hitler felt the same way looking at – "

Sanji kicked him, causing him to stumble down the pathway. "Why aren't you a member of PETA already?"

"How do you know I'm not?"

"Because you're wearing clothes."

"I have no problem taking them off in protest."

Sanji was quite aware of the response that had several women nearby – he suspected they'd followed them around for some time, subtly taking pictures of the animal hugger – looking over with hopeful expressions, phones at the ready.

"You will _not_ , you exhibitionist homo, I will kick your ass," he muttered, reaching over to sling an arm around his waist possessively, glaring at them while Law looked at a fish in particular, concerned about its behavior as it swam close to the glass.

"This one keeps staring at me funny. It wants liberation."

"Calm down, Aqua-Man. You're such an ass. Why do I like you?"

"For my Netflix password."

"Shut _up_ ," Sanji muttered, shaking his head with a smile, pulling Law away from the glass as he tapped at it, the angelfish swimming off as their entourage followed.

"How does it make you feel, coming to this place? On a serious note?" Law asked him curiously, the pair of them entering into a long glass hallway that shifted from tropical fish to sharks that crept around them restlessly, their shadows drifting over them.

"Almost like being underwater. I don't know, I've always been drawn to this sort of thing. And every time I come here, I remember something new," Sanji said, looking up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. He dropped his arm from his waist to hold onto his pants instead, like a little kid not wanting to be separated. "Like Luffy always climbing into the turtle tank. And Nami and I naming off the fish in the rock tanks. Arguing with Zoro at the last stingray exhibit, over who held Luffy back the last time."

"And the sea lions?"

"They are so _cute_."

"I suppose I can see the appeal of being gawked at in captivity," Law said vaguely, glancing at the women that were staring at him.

"Shut up, I'm enjoying the moment." Sanji paused in mid-step to look up at the sharks that lingered just over the ceiling. "Every time I come here, I lose more of the false memories of seeing made-up animals. And it makes me feel…sad. Almost the opposite of what I _should_ feel, because I'm regaining all the things that I'd forgotten in my true memory."

Law looked down at him curiously. "Why would you feel sad?"

"I feel like I'm losing another part of myself."

"How long have you felt this way?"

Sanji shrugged, leaning against the rails that separated them from the glass. The blue lit water cast odd ripples on their faces, on the floor – and when people passed by them with excited voices and phone cameras at the ready, he felt uncomfortable with the sound of his voice being carried by the hall's curved dimensions.

"I just supposed it was part of this whole identity thing. The more I experience, the more I remember of my past, and the less memory I have of the things Hiluluk told me. And it feels…like I'm forgetting parts of a story that I really liked, and…it makes me feel a little down."

"I see," Law said with a slight frown.

"It's not like…well, see, for three years, I thought I was a pirate, right? Hiluluk built up this entire world where none of this stuff even existed, so it feels, _now_ , that I'm…losing myself, again. All of my old memories come back when I do something that's similar to the memory, and I can't help but feel…restless. Like _that_ life was almost a lie."

Law looked at him with concern. "Why haven't you told me this, before?"

"It's my problem – "

"No, it's not. It's _our_ problem. After all, your seminiferous tubules are mine to spill."

"My…what?"

"The point is, you're my slave. Obviously, I built a tolerance to you being in my life – "

" _Wow_."

" – and it matters to me what you're thinking because if you're experiencing some sort of turmoil, I have to think of things to say that'll make you feel better, and it's really difficult googling Nicholas Sparks quotes because I know you're going to catch on, eventually."

" …Who? Oh. Fucking _asshole_ ," Sanji said with a light laugh, pushing him away. Then looked at him sharply, reaching out and grabbing him close. "You had better not be using movie quotes to make me feel better! _Have_ you?"

"Well, if you can't remember, I don't think it matters, now – "

Sanji leaned over and gnawed on his shirt, causing Law to push him away. "Why do I even _like_ you?"

"Speaking honestly, I suppose it makes sense, now, why you've been feeling the way you do. I had just thought it was the stress you were putting on yourself to catch up to the others that was causing you to feel down."

"There's that, too. I missed out on a lot. If I could just…catch up with things that are normal for this age, I'd feel better, but…I feel like I'm several laps behind."

"Look, what matters at this time is that you're back," Law told him, reaching for his wrist, holding it tightly. "That's all that matters to everyone. I don't think you should feel the way you do – "

Sanji clasped his hand, entwining their fingers. "But I do, and I feel guilty – "

"You shouldn't. I suppose it's normal to think things that are…unfamiliar with you, but…if you're ever feeling a certain way, please tell me. Maybe I don't have the right things to say when you need it, but I don't want you to feel that you can't talk to me about it. We can sort it out, together."

"I suppose," Sanji muttered, looking down at their hands.

C'mon. There's more miserable faces than yours in this place," Law told him, leaning forward to kiss the top of his head. "We have to give them all equal attention in order to wallow in their suffering."

"I hate you." Sanji then asked, "Can you ask Cora how he's doing? I'm a little worried about them."

"I left my phone in the car. I'm pretty sure they're okay."

"Well, it _is_ Cora that I worry most about."

"Look, no one's emergency alert system went off, around here," Law said, referring to the tones that most cell phones emitted when the city released a warning for something dangerous occurring in certain sections of the metropolis. "Therefore, they are fine. Cora raised me just fine."

"That's the thing I worry about," Sanji muttered, turning to lead the way while Law wondered if that was why he was the way he was.

: :

"Wherever they are, he is using cash to cover his tracks," Lucci muttered over a fresh glass of whiskey, brooding over the counter. Blueno frowned at him, wiping a few mugs clean. The Applebee's restaurant was lively, tonight, with families enjoying each other's company, and his partner was annoyed because he couldn't seem to accept this new arrangement between the Strawhats and Spandem. Next to him, Kaku looked pensive as he looked down at his appetizers, and Califa was staring off at the ceiling with a bored expression.

"I think…that we should continue pushing the issue," Kaku said carefully. "Zeff understood exactly why we were there. The fact that Blackleg is willing to cooperate with keeping us – "

"You call _this_ cooperating?" Lucci asked, indicating the wad of paperwork nearby. " _This_ is nothing. He speaks about 'respect' and 'understanding', and yet even he agrees with Strawhat's asinine views of 'justice' by giving us this slop."

"I agree with you," Califa said on a curt tone. "We watched that kid grow up, and I'd thought for sure he'd understand our position after all that Zeff did. We were essentially modeled after his family, after all."

"Upon 'conditions'. Upon the understanding that our use will be facilitated by the enforcer, which he retired from without proper – "

"I get that he's old and wants to live the rest of his life out doing old people things, but leaving us to scramble while these bastards continue to live unchecked - !"

"Calm down, both of you! We're all just a little bit upset about the state of things, but we mustn't allow it to heat our heads! Blueno, ice cream, please," Kaku ordered, the man giving a signal to a nearby server.

"As if 'ice cream' will pay my electricity bill," Lucci muttered, drinking from his cup, Hattori snoozing on his shoulder.

"Look, guys, it is what it is. The Strawhats threw themselves into a position that no one else was willing to take, considering what's involved. Spandem kept us out of it for a reason. None of us can think in a way that will allow for fair judgment when it comes to the syndicates – "

"The Strawhats themselves can't make a fair judgment! They're children, happy to be hall monitor, and missing the entire point of keeping these groups contained!" Califa complained, tossing her blonde hair back over her shoulder. "Strawhat clearly thinks he was only meant to come in and box the heads of those that stepped out of line, but he doesn't even know what that line means!"

"The point of it was to keep crime contained, and it appears that none of them know how to do that," Lucci muttered. "The syndicates are now out of line, and they're building in power amongst themselves, pushing each other to prove that they should exist as the better man. I say we find and visit Zeff, and convince him to return to put them back into order. Show the Strawhats how to conduct themselves. Or get Blackleg to take over the position as head leader."

"He won't do it," Kaku insisted. "And I don't think it'd be a good idea. After that thing with Hiluluk, he's _incapable_ of making decisions based on this world's judgment. You saw what that Tea Party did to people. After being on that stuff for as long as he was, I doubt he's even any sort of a person able to make any sound judgment. Why do you think he's watched so closely?"

"It's remarkable that he'd even recovered the way he did," Califa said. "But after much observation, it's apparent that the others aren't so confident in his state of mind. His boyfriend knows this much – that's why he won't allow him out of sight."

"Or that he's a jealous bastard," Lucci mumbled.

"Or _that_. But every one of us has seen that he's not of sound mind. The Tea Party created a world of imagination and forced him for those years to think he was a person that Hiluluk imagined him to be. He's mentally stunted – caught between those false memories and whatever else is in that head of his. However he's working it out, he's unable to live on his own, quite yet. Jobless, lacks proper education, and we've seen the way he's operated under normal, every-day conditions."

"Grocery stores are a problem," Blueno muttered, the only words he'd uttered since they'd arrived.

"So how can this man properly lead the Strawhats, when he is incapable of taking care of himself?" Califa ended, picking up her mixed drink, sipping at it.

"I'd still fuck him," Hattori said. "You don't need a degree on that."

She spit out her drink as Kaku choked on his appetizers.

"Don't say things like that!" they screamed at Lucci, who only drank calmly.

"So, we have a _child_ leading a mentally inept man, a gold-digger, a hustler, and a blood thirsty idiot thinking that they're in control over power and money hungry syndicate heads, and everyone finds it acceptable?" Lucci asked, setting his cup aside. "I don't. I feel that since there is no one in control of the situation that we step in. our sense of justice is just. We're capable of making smart decisions, and we have the power to control anybody that might feel as if they don't have to abide by set rules. Who is going to hold us back from destroying the Strawhats?"

"I'm uncomfortable with that position," Kaku muttered. "After all, from the fight the other night, they're not going to take it well."

"That's just the thing. We'd have to agree amongst ourselves that this is something that can be done," Lucci said. "Again, I ask, who will stop us? Spandem? In this show of power, the syndicate heads will respect us. I'm sure they'd appreciate our intervention more so than the Strawhats'."

"You might be onto something," Califa said, tipping her glass his way. "I like your way of thinking."

: :

As they left the aquarium, the visit had only confirmed Law's suspicions. Sanji was still some distance away from a full recovery of the Tea Party's effects. His memory was still in shambles; his comprehension of the world as they knew it was spotty, and his understanding of this world's concepts was vaguely immature – he was still retaining information from a seventeen year old's perspective and those of a 'failed pirate'. Combined, it made up for interesting conversations. His school lessons only proved that he was having a difficult time grasping high school concepts – admittedly, his memory would pull from the damaged depths an answer he needed, but only after some work.

Chopper had told Law that his studying was performed with constant questioning on things that he'd only been subjected to before he disappeared; in the midst of that was Sanji expressing frustration on not 'knowing' enough of this world to understand the mechanics of basic high school subjects. After all, as a child that sailed the seas around eight through 21 years (Sanji thought he was legal age, curiously), he didn't need school. The mental processes he was struggling with also explained his current state of restlessness. The man was overwhelmed, and he wasn't saying a thing to anybody about it.

While he stood back to observe and come to a judgment for himself, Sanji still needed help in discerning some rights from wrongs when it came to simple decisions. He had a hard time counting out coins and bills, banking processes (credit cards did not buy everything with just a swipe), understanding etiquette between strange men that hit on him (maybe that was Law's own trouble, because Sanji received a lot of male attention that he was completely oblivious to), and simple world actions, such as no walking into Target without a list. He lacked the ability to understand that foreigners did not understand him if he spoke to them (because apparently everyone shared the same language on the Grand Line), and he failed to grasp the concept of the internet, sometimes, having frustration navigating his way around various sites and subjects without success.

It was almost as if Law were living with a foreigner, himself – maybe someone from out of space.

While Law only noticed the things that happened in the household, because he was often with him and took over when it came to money and making decisions, he hadn't noticed these difficulties too much. Shachi and Penguin had said nothing about Sanji's decision making skills because Sanji only went to the grocery store, Target (never again) and they were too busy fighting with each other to notice what Sanji was doing. But Chopper's extra eyes caught sight of things that they hadn't, and all of it was worrying.

When Law had given Sanji a five dollar bill to pay for a drink that came up to eight bucks, Sanji had been confused when pressed for the remaining amount. Luckily, the cashier had been nice to explain the concept to him, which made him go and find Law, but the fact that Sanji hadn't noticed the money difference made him feel…sad.

There was no way he could allow Sanji to live out on his own, like Zeff wanted him to. Not in this state. How long would it take for Sanji to recover, to begin thinking 'normally', again? And what was he thinking, taking on a task like the one he was doing with the other Strawhats when he couldn't even stay away from deal scams at Walmart?

Maybe there was a part of him that could take on specific roles, allowing his 'pirate' side to think for him. Maybe there was relief in that – because whatever seventeen year old Sanji couldn't grasp as a normal teenager, maybe pirate Sanji could just to keep his head above water in the syndicate heavy waters of this world.

He didn't know how to approach the subject because Sanji was very sensitive about it – his pride being the worst obstacle between them. He wanted to prove so badly that he was capable of taking care of himself, but Law wondered if he truly knew just how far behind he was when it came to such things.

And it was Date Night. Sanji was in a very good mood, and Law did not want to ruin it with this conversation. But he truly felt they needed to address it. Soon. Just so that they could change up day to day processes, if they had to, so they could work on reconnecting Sanji's memories properly, and get him caught up with the rest of the world. He wished there was another solution about it. He would have fixed it in a heartbeat if he could.

He looked over at the man as he drove them away from the aquarium. Sanji was looking happily out the window, holding on his drink, probably thinking about the fish in tanks that they'd left behind. There was still so much child-like actions to his behavior that often clashed with this so-called pirate life that he came off as such a different person. But when he looked at Law, Law felt better when he knew that Sanji saw 'him' as he was, as he'd always been with him. That was a comfort, and a relief, because if Sanji could get this far with him, then he was quite capable of regaining the rest of himself in the same way.

He reached out and grasped his hand in his. They might still have a long ways to go in terms of recovery, but they were on the right road. They'd get there, someday.

Meanwhile, Corazon was leaning out the window of Penguin's car, struggling to hold onto Chopper as Doflamingo held the carrier in one hand while leaning out his window, both of them shrieking at each other to let go. Chopper was screaming, suspended feet away from the street between both town car and racing car. Gladius was glaring at Penguin, both drivers occupied with keeping their vehicles close to the others', and Shachi was screaming in the back seat because nobody was seeing the upcoming truck that threatened to come between them both – being that they were driving in the wrong lane on a busy stretch of freeway.

: :

On their way to the market place Penguin had recommended, Sanji used Law's phone to call Cora. Since Law didn't bother to save numbers, he let the man dial the number he needed, but was a little bothered when he was sent to voicemail after a few rings. He made to text when something told him to try again. This time, Corazon answered, a little breathless.

"Hi, Cora, it's Sanji. Are you…are you okay?" he asked, worried as the man caught his breath.

" _Yeah_! Yeah! I'm fine! Just – my phone! I dropped my phone, everything's _a-ok_!" Corazon shouted into the phone, causing him to pull it away.

Law's face automatically dropped. He knew that lie.

"Everything's fine, here! Chopper's having a great time. Aren't you?"

"I'M FINE, SANJI _SAVE ME_ I WAS JUST KIDDING I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN _AGGGHHHHH_!"

"Cora," Sanji said, looking at Law with rising concern. "Cora, he doesn't sound fine."

"We're at the park, Sanji!" Cora shouted from a distance away. "Swinging!"

"WE'RE AT THE PARK!"

"HAVING SO MUCH FUN!"

"SLIIIIDDDEEEEE!"

"Cora, is that _Doflamingo_ in the background?" Sanji asked sharply, over the sounds of Penguin and Shachi screaming. "What kind of park is this? Let me talk to Chopper again."

Law leaned over and snatched the phone from him. "You're such a worrywart. It sounds as if they have everything under control. That's the sound of fun you're hearing."

"It doesn't sound like 'fun', it sounds like terror!"

"It's all good! We're having so much fun!" Corazon repeated, closer to the phone this time, completely out of breath. "Gotta go! My turn! Havefuntherestofthenightdon'tcallmeI'llcallyou _bye_!"

Law shrugged, tossing the phone into the very back of the car. "They sound fine."

"They do not! I swear I heard Doffy in the background!" Sanji exclaimed, looking at him with a frown. " _Law_ \- !"

"Trust me, Sanji, everyone sounds like they're having fun at the park. You don't know how excited Cora gets when he's let loose on the equipment," Law said.

"Why are you white knuckling the wheel, then?"

"Because some of these bastards don't know how to drive."

Sanji stared at him for a few moments. "We're at a _stoplight_. We are _stopped_."

"Look, don't worry," Law reassured him, letting go of the wheel with much effort. "Chopper said he was fine. Penguin and Shachi are with them. They're probably trying to find his things. What a great idea."

"I swear that was Doffy talking about a slide…" Sanji murmured suspiciously. "But the other sounds didn't sound like…it was like they were outside. Where it was really windy."

"Chopper is still alive, and that's all that counts."

"That does _not_ make me feel better! Maybe we can just grab some fast food instead, and go check - !"

"Absolutely not. These reservations were hard to obtain in such a short amount of time. Sanji, trust me. Everything is fine. If you don't feel any better in ten minutes, I'll text one of your friends to go check on them," Law said.

"Where's Bepo?"

"He's on an extra special assignment, tonight. I'd rather he not be bothered."

"What sort of assignment?" Sanji asked curiously, finishing the last of his tea.

"Well…." Relieved for the change in subject, but not about the content Sanji asked for, Law followed traffic for some minutes before he saw the turn he needed. It involved cutting through a couple of lanes, causing wild swerves, honks and drivers swearing at him, Sanji bumping against his window and dropping his tea, but he made it.

"Well, um, remember the other day when I felt that if I ever needed to step in if I felt me or mine was threatened?"

Sanji narrowed his eyes.

"Since the place is essentially compromised with the revealing of your homes to the syndicates, I felt that it was important to find a home elsewhere. I have him looking at houses. I wasn't going to say anything, because I thought – "

"A 'house'? You have a _bear_ looking into houses for _us_?" Sanji repeated.

"Yes. Is that…is that a problem?" Law asked him curiously. "I thought you'd want a bigger place."

"But that's…that's something _you and I_ should be doing," Sanji muttered, looking at his hands. "That's…that's future planning."

"Well, we're living together, right? Like, what's the problem?"

"I just feel…I just feel that…I'm not ready for a house," Sanji said slowly.

Law looked at him for so long that when the honking started, he realized he'd drifted into the other lane. He swerved back into theirs, Sanji dropping his drink again, looking at him with bewilderment. For a few moments, Law stared out the windshield with an intense expression, then asked, "What does that mean?"

"I mean…where we live, it's fine. I just feel that if we moved into a house, it's…I'm scared," Sanji confessed tightly. "I'm scared because…what if I'm not ready for a house?"

"Sanji, are we talking about a house, or something else?" Law asked slowly.

"A _house_. A house is where – we settle down, and we have jobs, and we have steady…and we have none of that, right now. I don't even have my GED. I don't know when I'll even get it," Sanji said, looking out the window with frustration. "I don't want to go into a situation where…I feel I can't…hold my own weight, I can't contribute."

"You contribute a lot to us," Law said to him firmly. "You keep the place clean. You cook. You keep us in line. You made what I was living in a complete home. That's enough contributing, and when you're ready, you can go find your job. But right now, all you can do is just – "

"I don't want to feel as if I'm useless, and I already feel that way," Sanji interrupted. "Like I said before, everyone is so many steps ahead of me, and I feel I can't catch up. If we move into a house, I'll feel even worse. I'm a grown man! Why am I still living with another like I'm seventeen, again? I shouldn't have to!"

"Look, if you want to contribute more than what you are, now, then talk to Zeff. He'll find you a job."

Sanji gave a stubborn huff. "I shouldn't have to go to him as an adult and expect him to take care of me like I'm still a kid."

"Essentially, you still are!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sanji asked him. "I'm twenty years old. Most people my age are in college, they have jobs, and they're living on their own."

"A long time ago, as a child, you wished you were married and settled down, at this age. How is this different?"

"I was unrealistic, then! _Now_ , it's different! After everything that happened, I have _none_ of the things I thought I was going to have at this age – I don't even have my driver's license!"

"If you're so worried about that, then we'll work on it!"

"I just feel that getting a house right now isn't the right idea for either of us," Sanji repeated. "I feel that I'm…holding you back, and I don't want to feel that way."

"Sanji, from _what_? What are you holding me back from? I already went through all this crap! I don't want to do this with anybody else!"

Sanji exhaled heavily. "Pull over, you're not even paying attention to the road."

"Look, _fine_. No house," Law said, stopping at a stoplight, causing the vehicles behind him to honk furiously, as it was green. Ignoring them, he said, "We'll look for another apartment. It's not that big of a deal."

"I just don't want to disappoint you," Sanji muttered. "What if after everything is straightened out in my head, and I don't want this, or you don't like the person that I've finally become?"

" _What does that even mean_?" Law asked, putting the vehicle into park as those words caused panic in his chest. Those forced to stop behind them kept honking, finally moving around him as the light turned yellow.

Sanji chewed on the inside of his mouth, then said, "I don't feel like I'm settled, inside. On one hand, I feel like I have absolutely everything I've ever wanted and needed in this entire relationship. On the other, I feel like I'm being forced to accept a situation that I didn't have a hand in."

Law stared at him incredulously. "You've _never_ said anything like this, before!"

"I don't know _what_ to feel, okay? I'm happy, yes, I'm so happy with you! On the other hand, I feel like – like I'm lying about it! I don't know if it's this stupid identity crisis thing…I'm caught between this and that, and I don't know how to sort it out! When I'm away from you, I feel comfortable being myself, but at the same time, I feel like a goddamn foreigner on new soil! When I'm with you, there's no place I'd rather be – I'm confused about it!"

"Look," Law said with a heavy exhale, hand stretched out between them to rest on the headrest behind Sanji's head. "It's obvious to me that you…aren't fully all there."

"What do you mean?"

"When you left, at seventeen, that's when you were forced to drink in the Tea Party, right? Essentially, your life stopped at seventeen. This pirate self of you, he's older, right?"

"Mm hmm."

"You're caught in between that, right now. You've taken this stuff every day for years, and it's a fucking miracle that it didn't do shit to your body, but it ruined your head. You stunted at seventeen. You're essentially, _mentally_ , seventeen. On another hand, there are moments where you are this other self. You're two people in one, right now! And it's understandable that you're feeling overwhelmed, because, on one hand, you've got to learn to adapt to this so-called life on land, right?"

"Yes."

"On another, you're still seventeen, and you're still learning how the world works. That immaturity of yours comes out, a lot. You're still that boy that left, but on another hand, _at the same time_ , you're this stranger. So, look – I understand that you're feeling caught up in some mental web. I just feel that if you're feeling any other way about _us_ \- you need to talk to me about it. When you're saying things like 'I don't want this', you're saying it like…you don't want me."

"I _do_. I do want you…but I'm confused. Like…if I'm this mental state, you're dealing with a seventeen year old. And this twenty-one year old, right? Why would you even want that? And when I finally straighten myself out, will you still want me?"

At the sound of people honking at them impatiently, Law growled, putting the vehicle into drive and continuing on their way.

"And I'm already…what if…I feel…" Sanji trailed off, unsure of how to talk about Lucci. After what Law said, he felt that if he didn't, something would happen unfavorably.

" _What_?"

He took a deep breath, picking at the material of his pants. "I…I said all that because…some things happened where I feel…I feel…confused."

" _What_ things?" Law asked, pulling over once more, causing the truck behind them to honk, throwing expletives and showing off his middle finger as he passed them.

Licking his lips nervously, Sanji said low, "I love you. And you make me so happy, so I don't…I don't know why I've…I feel…attracted to another person."

"Like how ' _attracted'_?" Law asked hollowly, thinking over the past few weeks. Feeling tight chested and horrified as he wondered the true reasoning of Sanji's independence.

"Just…I – find a man attractive."

"Would you act on it?"

Sanji spoke truthfully because he thought it was important to do so. "I almost did. I'd never… _ever_ imagined that I could feel this way when I…I'm happy with you. I shouldn't even think or feel that way…but yet it happened. I'm so confused…"

It was a direct hit to the gut to hear those words. For some time, Law felt like he couldn't breathe. He stared out the windshield with a tight frown, finding it terribly difficult to think of anything other than what he was told. The fact that Sanji didn't want to find a house with him, combined with this confession, suggested that Sanji doubted their future together.

And that was crippling because as far as his future was concerned, it had Sanji in it.

"But I mean, it's a physical attraction. Is that normal? To look at someone else, and appreciate their looks?" Sanji asked, biting his thumbnail.

"Who is this person?" Law asked, breathlessly, feeling as if someone had hit him in the gut.

Sanji looked at him upon hearing it. He looked at his tight features, the very upset frown on his face. It seemed like just minutes ago he was smiling and looking at him affectionately. And Sanji worried for those few moments, if the things he'd just said had done something to _them_.

He said slowly, "It shouldn't matter. You asked if I had anything bothering me, and this is bothering me. I don't know why I feel this way. I don't like it. I feel like I'm lying to myself. I thought if I told you, you could help me figure it out."

"Well, now it matters, Sanji. Who is it?"

"It doesn't matter. Is it normal to be attracted to somebody else when I'm already in love with another person?"

Law didn't know what to say for the longest time. He felt like all the oxygen had been sucked right out of him. When he lifted a hand to fiddle with his hair, his fingers were shaking, and his arm felt too heavy. But Sanji was watching him with an upset frown, looking as if he regretted saying anything – looking to him for understanding, and Law told himself he shouldn't take it that hard if Sanji was telling him this.

He swallowed hard to dislodge the ball in his throat. It seemed only to catch in his chest, again.

"It's fine to appreciate the physical looks of others," he said slowly. "To act on it is a different story. To have feelings…for someone else because of it…that's…that's different."

"That's why I felt I couldn't do the house," Sanji said softly. "I felt like I did something wrong."

"But did you? Did you – like, what do you mean, you almost acted on - ?"

"He tried to kiss me."

" _Who is this man_?"

"It won't happen again," Sanji assured him. "I just…think that I…I needed some help understanding the way I feel. Is this part of my identity crisis? Feeling this way?"

Law didn't know how to answer that. He didn't know what to do with his hands, so he dropped them to his lap. Sanji looked over at him, feeling something terrible in his confession. Was this something he should have even brought up? But it had been bothering him – and Law had said to tell him if anything were…was this a taboo subject? Meant to be shared with another person?

Maybe he should have spoken with Zoro about it, first.

"Law?"

"So…you…it's fine if…you find another person attractive," Law managed to get out, but he hated the way his tongue refused to move the way it should. "We're all human. We…look at other human beings."

"Do you?"

"Yeah."

"Do you feel attracted to them?"

"It happens."

Sanji sat back in his chair with a relieved noise. "But at the end of the day, it's me you're with."

"Yeah."

"Okay. I just felt…that I did something wrong. I thought that because I felt the way I did, I did something wrong to you. But if it's normal, then…then I guess I don't feel so bad."

Law looked at him for several long moments. At this time, he didn't know what to think. But Sanji had just a relieved expression on his face that he should have felt as if the subject should _go away_.

It didn't.

: :

The market place was an open row of fresh food vendors, and it was packed with people, stalls, and a bar and grill towards the very back that allowed people to cook their own meals with the items they chose from the market. Sanji loved it immediately. He couldn't help but think of the islands that he'd visited with the others, and –

He forced himself to stop thinking in that manner. He'd never been to an 'island'. He was not a pirate. He never been. But the visuals changed gradually from that imaginative setting to something he was seeing for the first time. Zeff had never taken him to a place like this, and he was sure he'd loved it.

"How did you know this place was here?" he asked Law excitedly, catching sight of a vegetable vendor and meandering in that direction.

Law followed quietly, mind heavy with the conversation they just had. Seeing Sanji occupied with the things around him gave him some time to reflect to himself. He held the basket when necessary, and waited as Sanji talked to every person that looked at him.

There was his teen self, again, happily excited over the things he gathered, planning something for the pair of them to eat. As Law followed him around, he couldn't help but think about certain parts over and over again.

'…On the other, I feel like I'm being forced to accept a situation that I didn't have a hand in,' Sanji had said. This must've been his pirate self speaking, because when Sanji first returned to them, he couldn't believe he was in a relationship with another man. He couldn't accept himself as being 'gay'. So this part of him must've still harbored some resentment over it – was it still that strong, however?

He supposed some behavior and thought patterns were true because they were a part of Sanji, and it took some time to develop another way of thinking. Law thought that he'd been fine, so far. After all, Sanji was all over him, very expressive, very giving and quite willing to take. So Law really wasn't sure how to take that.

And the way Sanji had so much trouble expressing his feelings, looking at him in a certain way, reminded Law of his teenage self, where he'd relied on Law to make a decision. But it wasn't all to say that Sanji was incapable of making his own life – it all came down to whether or not he still wanted Law in it while he discovered himself.

So it made Law wonder – was Zeff right in wanting Sanji to live alone, to find himself as an individual? Was this a necessary action important for his renewed development as a person?

"Beef or chicken?" Sanji asked him, looking up from a trench filled with ice that contained packaged meat. Then gave him a concerned look. "Are you okay? You're really quiet."

"This is your element," Law told him with a tight smile. "I'm just following you."

"Are you…are you bothered with what we spoke about?" Sanji asked tentatively, brushing his hair behind an ear as he looked up at him. His worried expression became heavy. "Was it even the right thing to say?"

"You were very truthful with me, and I appreciate that," Law said slowly. "With having said that, I ask that you not hesitate again if something comes up and…has you feeling doubt of some kind."

Sanji said nothing for a few moments, looking away from him to scan the crowd around them. But then he looked at him and nodded, returning his attention the meats in front of him. He picked at the packages with a disinterested expression, then looked back at him.

"I feel like I did something wrong."

"You haven't."

Sanji wore a doubtful expression, then looked back at the meats. Shifting through the cuts, he said low, "You like animals, but you eat meat. Isn't that a contradiction?"

"Veganism is boring."

Sanji picked up a package of meat, and carefully deposited it into the basket. He looked up at Law once more. "We're okay, right?"

"We're good," Law said.

"You just…you've gotten so quiet, I'm worried."

"I'm relying on you not to give us food poisoning, tonight."

Sanji winced, then made a face as he walked on, looking for the spices that he could smell. Law followed after him, his feet feeling like weights.

: :

Panting hard, Corazon rested his hands upon his knees. Across from him, Doflamingo breathed heavily, holding onto a side ache. Some feet behind them, Shachi was on his back on the sidewalk, utterly winded. Penguin was leaning against a light post, hands over his head. Chopper clung to the carrier because he was moments from slipping out, but he was winded from screaming, so he felt light headed. They were all standing at an intersection, Penguin's car parallel parked between a pickup truck and a Buick – there were skid marks left behind from the on-ramp, and while both bumpers gave just an inch of space between the two vehicles, there was no way of retrieving it.

In the distance, Doflamingo's towncar was upside down and in flames, and Gladius' effort into combating the flames was turning the vehicle fire extinguisher on it. Around them, stopped vehicles with curious passengers stared at them, and then at the destruction in the road. There were sirens in the distance.

Corazon eyed his brother. "If they find out about this, they'll never let us babysit every again."

" _Pet_ sitting, brother," Doflamingo corrected.

"This is as close as it gets for them, stupid!"

"You did not correct me, at all! That goes to show what sort of a grandparent you truly are! You think of Momo as a _pet_ , when he clearly isn't. He talks, he feels, he thinks, and he obviously _bleeds_ fear when faced with a mortal situation. He is obviously a small child."

"He's a _reindeer_! That talks! And if Sanji finds out we've put him in danger, he won't let me – _us_ – near the concept of babysitting! He'll just leave Law with us!"

"This is a problem," Doflamingo admitted. "If my daughter realizes what sort of irresponsible person I've been with not buckling him in properly in his child seat, she won't let me take him."

"She entrusted me with him! I mean, _HE_ entrusted me with Chopper! Law asked me to do this! Not you!"

"How could he do this to me?" Doflamingo asked, dropping to his knees, hands on the pavement while Chopper clung tightly to the straps, trying not to fall out. "Me, Doflamingo, lover of children – "

" _Ugh_!"

" _You know what I meant_! Anyway, I should have been the one he asked, first!"

"You are the worst person to have kids! You are the reason why Law is the way he is! You're a bad influence!"

"Lies! You never spanked him as a child, so he got away with everything!"

"I don't believe in spanking!"

"If that kid was spanked, he would've never been the person he is, today!"

"He's a damn good person!" Corazon shouted over the sound of the car exploding. Gladius gave up on his efforts, tossing the extinguisher over his shoulder as he walked their way. "Now, give Chopper back!"

" _Momo_! This is it! It's time for you to choose," Doflamingo said, rising to his feet. "Would you rather go with Corazon, or would you rather stay with me? I was actually headed over to the candy factory for – "

"Is there cotton candy?" Chopper asked curiously.

"You can't give him candy!" Corazon shouted in dismay. "Think of his cavities! And if I give him back and he's on a sugar high, Sanji will kill me!"

"You can't feed reindeer candy!" Penguin hollered uselessly.

Doflamingo took a step away, and Corazon followed with a determined expression.

"He needs milk and veggies to grow big and strong," he growled. "Candy does nothing but rot his teeth."

"You don't know that! _We_ survived all this time on fast food and soda! _We're_ obviously fine!"

Doflamingo took another step, Corazon following.

"He wants candy, Cora. Accept it. Accept his fate. Or _die_ ," he added, withdrawing a gun from his jacket, curious people around them suddenly scrambling for cover.

"I choose death, then. I will not let your bad influence _influence_ the only grandchild I'll ever get!" Corazon decided, ready to move.

"So be it, brother. I'll only forgive you after you've given your last breath!"

Corazon kicked him, finally reaching in and snatching the baby carrier from his chest. Holding Chopper away from his grasp, Doflamingo looking at him with a shocked expression, Corazon snarled viciously, "Get _away_ from him, you bitch!"

"I sentence you to sudden, instant, and _immediate_ death!" Doflamingo snarled just as viciously.

Penguin sighed heavily, hands on his hips, face up towards the sky. One brother had quoted the mighty Ripley from 'Aliens', while the other quoted King John from Disney's _Robin Hood_ , which told him a lot about their mind state, for the moment. "Well. Apparently, we're not getting any sleep, tonight."

"I should go get some coffee," Gladius said, looking for a market. "You guys want a Redbull, or something?"

"I'll take one!" Shachi said, rising up from the sidewalk. "Are you buying?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

"This insanity stops now," came a voice beyond them.

Doflamingo turned while Corazon looked around him, seeing that Drake was standing there with his coat billowing around his shoulders, and a pissed off expression on his face. Penguin felt like crying, Shachi falling to his knees with exhaustion, Gladius giving a low 'oh, shit.'

"You two have been fighting throughout my side of town, and caused extensive property damage. I don't know where those fucking Strawhats kids are now to stop you, but I'm tired of seeing my side of the city being torn apart because of your childish actions," Drake growled, throwing his jacket off to Ashley standing nearby, the man catching the material with a snobbish tilt of his chin.

"Who's he?" Chopper asked curiously.

"Did this _dick_ just threaten me?" Doflamingo asked.

"He threatened _us_ ," Corazon corrected, reaching for his gun, reloading grandly. "And he clearly sees us with our grandchild. So he's threatening him, too."

Drake's face reflected some confusion as the brothers stood abreast of each other, one holding what looked like a reindeer in a baby carrier on his chest. He was NOT going to ask.

"You crossed a line, tonight, Drake," Doflamingo said low, frowning. His expression turned from his trademark grin to a tense frown. "It would've been fine if it were just _us_ you were talking to. But clearly, we're with child."

"Uh….I…find myself unclear of…is that thing what you're…" Drake sputtered, a little confused as he squinted at them, pretty sure that they were _brothers_. Not a couple. Or were they? It was the twenty-first century, things were pretty weird when it came to the domestic partnership laws that passed in the city. And neither of them ever showed off a woman. His mouth opened slightly, he debated on whether or not to actually do anything. Not because he was intimidated in any way – but because the concept of them having a 'grandchild' in the form of some mutated, blue nosed reindeer with huge eyes threw him completely off.

Meanwhile, Luffy sat at a bus stop with a frown, calling Robin. When she answered, he whined, "I think I'm lost. Did you mean the trampoline center on the south end? Or the east? Because I'm over here by Sanji's, and that's in the west."

"Oh, dear, I suppose it's unfortunate that many will wind up dead because of this, but don't worry – I'm sure the city has insurance to cover this!" she said brightly.

"You're _not_ helping," Luffy said dully.

: :

Law had been pretty quiet since their talk in the vehicle. His tight mouth and furrowed eyebrows suggested thoughts of negativity, and Sanji felt incredibly guilty for even saying anything in the first place. He should have spoken to Zoro about it; his advice would have been more valuable. Which made him think of the times he'd approached the man for anything. Most of the time, he'd had things that Zoro didn't even want to talk about, but he gave practical advice that Sanji felt he could faithfully follow.

But the thing was…wasn't Law his best friend, now? Wasn't that how a relationship worked? He was supposed to tell the man anything; he felt comfortable enough, to. Maybe Law didn't have the words he was looking for, but things felt right if Sanji said anything.

And now…now maybe Sanji said too much. He sat across from him with his plate of food – grilled chicken with a light barbeque sauce, with grilled vegetables and a pasta salad that had needed only a few more ingredients to spice up the taste. He'd grilled a thick slab of salmon for Law, who was picking at it with a disinterested expression. Usually, the man was the first to clear out their fish supply, so seeing him play with the bright orange brick of meat made Sanji felt sick inside.

"You don't like it?" he asked cautiously, placing his fork aside. Around them, people with their own cooked works talked cheerily at their candle lit tables; a family sat in a booth nearest them, with a toddler screaming her head off as her phone was taken away, food placed in front of her. She threw her mac and cheese around herself, hurled her chicken nuggets to the gravel below, screaming for something she couldn't quite vocalize while her parents barely looked up from their phones, taking pictures of their plates.

"It's good," Law told him, shredding meat from the bone.

"I said the wrong thing, didn't I?" Sanji muttered.

"Look, what matters…is that you said something. Admittedly, maybe they aren't things anybody would want to hear, but…I would want you to feel that you can talk to me about things than…not."

"But you said it was normal – "

"I do, it's normal, everyone does it. It's just the fact that you feel that we…and I see it. The more I think on it, the more…maybe Zeff's right."

"Right about _what_?" Sanji snapped, curling his fingers into a ball under the table.

"Maybe…maybe I'm the one holding you back," Law said tightly. "I'm older. I went through my…well, let's say I've dated more than you have. I'm at a point where I don't want to do that, anymore, but…with your age, you should be – "

"You don't get to decide that!" Sanji interrupted him. "Weren't we just – before Hiluluk, didn't we decide that we'd have a future together? We planned things!"

"But things are different, now…"

"So now you think that old man decides what's best for me is the best for you, too?"

"I'm just saying…"

" _What_ are you saying?"

"Don't raise your voice here," Law snapped at him as a couple of people looked their way. "Clearly, one side of you resents where you are – "

"None of me does!" Sanji growled back. "When have I ever resented - ? Look, I started telling you these things because these things are happening inside of me, and I asked for your understanding! Never once did I say I wanted anything different!"

"I understand that, but - !"

"What's so difficult about it? What's so difficult understanding that I'm having a hard time with these things, and I can't seem to settle on one? And these confusing feelings from the other end of it – I don't know how to deal with it! I told them to you because I needed your damn advice, and suddenly it seems like the wrong thing I could have ever said!"

"And I told you, it's fine that you feel one way – I just think that you're…that maybe me being with you is hindering you from being who you're supposed to be at this point," Law argued low with him. "I'm older, I know what I want, and you're younger, you're still finding yourself - !"

"Stop _saying_ that! Stop using that goddamn excuse for everything!" Sanji snapped at him, growing infuriated and causing others to look at them curiously. "I'm done eating. I'm going to go smoke."

With that, he gave the crying toddler his food, the girl looking down at his plate with curiosity, much to the parents' startled notice. Once she began to eat, Sanji stormed off towards the exit, leaving Law sitting there with an embarrassed look to his face as people stared over at him, murmuring amongst themselves as to what could have been said to cause such a scene. Since they'd already paid for the meal by paying for the ingredients, he left his plate there and went striding towards the exit. A woman watching from nearby hurried over to take the plate, but was intercepted by another. As they struggled to take the plate from each other, a man swooped in front out of nowhere with the prize, running to his scowling boyfriend near the register.

Sanji puffed on his cigarette with tightly crossed arms, glaring at the slowly setting sun in the distance. The orange glow cast off the windows of the high rises, causing them to glimmer. A couple of airplanes circled the city, awaiting clearance to land. The sound of a medical helicopter overhead chopped through the noises on the street to his left, and loud laughter rang out from a bar to his right. a motorcycle swept through the alleyway, its driver checking for any cars before sweeping onto the street with a roar of its engine.

The parking lot nearby was cramped, narrow and dusty, and he could see Law's car parked near the edge.

Sanji felt his temper slowly edge away, and he felt ashamed for yelling as he did. He did that a lot – growing infuriated in seconds, much like how he remembered when he was a teen. Just snapping without thinking, and he could hear Zeff accusing him of having a short fuse, but he couldn't help feeling this way when he already felt several _different_ ways. It was easiest being mad.

"Are you done throwing a goddamn fit?" Law asked him with a glare.

"Are you done with the stupid age bullshit?"

"Look, the way things are going, it's obvious even you don't know what you want," Law said, hands lifting to gesture sharply. "Of course I'm going to feel as if it's something I'm not doing, or it's something that you want. I'm trying to understand it as much as you do."

"I told you I'm happy being where I am! Unfortunately, these little things made me doubt myself as – never once did I say it was you that made me feel this way! It's all me!"

"So you're using that 'it's me, not you' excuse?"

"Because it's true! Before that motherfucker ruined everything, I remember making plans with you! I'd go to college, you'd finish your med school, we'd keep in touch – never, do I want to mention here, was it said between us that we'd break up or anything – we'd be together. And then after, we'd live together. That was it, right?"

Law found it slightly fascinating how that cancer stick remained in Sanji's mouth as he spoke so forcefully. He had to wonder how it stayed there – was it the angle with which he spoke with? The filter catching on the edge of his teeth? Or was it magic? With the way he was nearly shouting at him, he should have spit it out by now.

Sanji reached out and slapped his shoulder once he realized Law was distracted by his mouth, wearing a mystified expression.

" _Right_?"

"Yes, that was the plan. But it's different, now. You're not that same kid."

"That's right, I'm not!"

"But at the same time, you still are. I can't help but reiterate the reason why this is so. With that in mind, with your feelings of unrest, I feel that I'm the only one that wants to move forward with a future with us."

"I _do_ want a future, like the one we'd planned," Sanji said after a few moments. "But I'm hesitant to feel as confident as I did because of this. What if I change my mind? What if I find something else I'd want to do? At that time, I had my mind set on culinary college in San Francisco. At this present moment, I don't have the right memories for it – "

"Would it help if we went there?" Law interrupted him, almost desperately. Because he did not like the way Sanji was speaking.

"It would," Sanji admitted, not thinking about it. "Because when I think of it, it's so detached from my way of thinking. It's a destination, something I'd only seen in a brochure, and not…"

"Then we'll go. We'll take a weekend. Maybe Zeff would like to go as well."

Sanji considered it. He couldn't recall if Zeff liked the city or not. He couldn't quite remember the sights and sounds of it, the smells of those streets. All he remembered was that they had to move there because –

"Why did we go there, anyway?" Sanji asked him curiously, dashing ashes aside. "We moved there, but I don't have any memories of anything around it."

Law was quiet for a few moments, making a face. Those memories were still fresh in his mind. He reached out, taking the cigarette from him to stick in his own mouth. Anything to suffocate the brain cells so he wouldn't have to deal with the emotions associated with the tale he needed to tell. "Let's go for a walk. It's not anything that anyone else should overhear."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"This is too complicated!" Corazon complained, looking at the math page Sanji had brought over. The boy was leaning over his shoulder with a pencil, frowning alongside with him. He'd needed help with a problem, and Law was too busy being annoyed with him to do anything. So Corazon stepped in, and he regretted it immediately. "Is this what they're teaching you, now? What is this devil's practice?"

"Welcome to common core math, Cora," Law snickered, looking up from his newest manga. "Please show all your work on a separate page."

"This is so stupid! Sanji! Just count to eight! Why do you have to put 5 and 3 together in such a complicated – what is this called? A lattice? Isn't that a fence?"

"I have to show _everything_ , Cora! It's so complicated! I'm done with it," Sanji whined, flopping over the back of the couch to the cushion, resting his head on his thigh. Corazon patted him absently, frustrated with what he saw on the page. "I can't do it! I'm sick of drawing fences!"

"Just do it, you little ape," Law said, kicking him from his side of the couch. "Hurry up. Cora won't let me watch my show until you're done."

"Stop kicking me!" Sanji snapped, kicking him back. Corazon took his pencil away as both of them kicked at each other, then started to wrestle.

Muttering to himself, Corazon tried to follow the problems Sanji had already solved, creating a lattice and marking down five on one side, three on the next. Then he gave up.

"Stop! You stink!"

" _You_ stink!"

"Your breath smells like dogshit!"

"You're dogshit _tier_!"

"Oh my god, who taught you guys to curse?" Corazon snapped at both of them, rising up from the couch to pick up Sanji's backpack, to look inside for the textbook. He pulled out drawings of hearts, flowers, and love letters to various girls, all of them with a different compliment. He couldn't help but read them all, giggling over them as the two fought and argued behind him.

Then he straightened up from the floor, seeing that Sanji had Law pinned to the cushions, breathing into his face. Law was screaming and pushing at him, and Sanji blew into his mouth, causing him to nearly vomit. Corazon sat down on the other end of the couch and took out his phone to try and understand this wretched common core math. Both kids left the couch, racing about, breaking something that sounded vaguely dangerous, but he ignored the sound and pulled up his Youtube app.

 _No wonder Zeff told him to ask us_ , he thought sullenly. He heard Law climbing on the counter in the kitchen, opening cupboards. He found whatever it was that made something crash to the kitchen floor, Sanji yelling out – it didn't sound like a pained yell, so Corazon didn't even look up. He concentrated on making the proper lattice form, then followed the instructions of the kid teaching the concept on a whiteboard that looked well used.

He followed a couple of problems in the same fashion until he realized it was _much_ too quiet. He looked over his shoulder to see if the boys were even there after making such a ruckus and realized he was watching Sanji throw up. It puzzled him because the kid was so healthy; he never even caught a sniffle during allergy season. He figured Law was too rough with him, but the tanned boy was so pale that he looked near fainting himself.

 _Weak stomach_? Corazon thought, setting his things aside and rising up from the couch, watching as Sanji twitched violently. Then he was on the floor, Law watching with a horrified expression, and Corazon realized that Sanji wasn't sick at all. Those convulsions, tinged dirty vomit and snot bubbles weren't a product of being roughly handled –

Quickly, Corazon jumped over the couch, shouting for Doflamingo in a panic. Once at Sanji's side, he reached into his mouth and swept a long finger in for the pills that he knew had caused this, managing to pull up a couple of them, nearly disintegrated. Then he stuffed his finger even further down his throat, hastily grabbing him by the back of his shirt and hauling him up in the air, shaking roughly. Law just watched with wide eyes and a pale face, unmoving as the last pill hit the floor, Doflamingo sauntering out of his room with an annoyed question, headphones pulled around his neck.

Once he realized what was happening, he jerked backwards with a surprised yell, dropping his phone to the floor. The screen told Corazon that while the boys were playing, Doflamingo had been watching 'Cinderella'.

"Do something!" Corazon screamed at him, in tears as the boy in his arms twitched violently, breathing abnormally as drool dribbled over his chin and jaw, snot catching over his cheeks.

" _I don't know_!" Doflamingo exclaimed, utterly unsure of what to do. He looked at Law, who looked at him with utter terror on his face. Then he looked at the kitchen, where he'd left his tin canister of White Rabbit and put it together. He'd told Law that they were special breath mints for adults – Law was never to touch them or give them out. He didn't understand why the kid ignored him.

"He's _dying_!" Corazon shouted, shaking the limp boy that had been so lively just minutes earlier. His eyes were unfocused as they stared up at the ceiling, and he didn't look like the kid that had been smiling hugely when he showed off his spelling test. He stopped convulsing and just laid there, a strange breathing noise leaving him ever so often. To Law, Corazon screamed, " _Call an ambulance_!"

" _No_! No, I got this, I got this right here," Doflamingo said, racing for the hall closet. He pulled various boxes from the top shelf – where all their things were stored, because neither he or Corazon wanted to bend down to use the other shelves – and found the one he needed. He pulled out a small box, revealing a tube of adrenaline, the hidden drawer underneath holding empty syringes. Then he hurriedly made his way to the trio.

Once he filled a syringe – not intending on using it all, but his fingers were clumsy – he dropped the other items, pushed Law aside, and knelt across from Corazon. Without any hesitation, he stabbed the boy in the same manner Vincent Vega did to Mia Wallace. When Sanji came back with a deep inhale and startled shout, choking promptly on the foul stuff lingering in his mouth, he started crying. Corazon and Doflamingo exhaled heavily with relief.

It was short lived as Corazon hugged him against his chest, Doflamingo looking at his brother with horror.

"Zeff is going to kill us!" he hissed. "He's going to kill all of us in our sleep! Even you! For giving it to him!"

"I thought they were breath mints," Law managed to utter, looking terrified out of his skin.

'I'll think of something," Corazon said hastily, patting Sanji's back with comfort. " _I'll think of something_. Law, stay here. Stay here with Doffy, alright? Both of you guys pack, just in case. Just in case we have to leave right away."

"But I don't want to move again!" Law whimpered, finally wiping at his eyes once he realized the severity of the situation.

"If we want to live, it's what we have to do. I'm taking him back to Zeff. Give me his stuff. I'll think of something!"

"Goddamn it. _Goddamn_ it!" Doflamingo cursed, pushing away from the floor. He was in the kitchen in seconds, snatching up the tin. He dumped it all into the garbage disposal, flipping the switch and running water into the sink. "I'll go with you."

"I'll go by myself! Maybe he won't react so hard if it's just me! Stay here, watch Law. Law, stay with Doffy. I'll be right back!"

" _Sanji, I'm so sorry_ \- !" Law tried to apologize, but he couldn't even speak as his young friend cried against Corazon's shoulder, still too out of it to know what was happening. Law watched them leave with horrified eyes, Doflamingo leaning against the sink with his expression hidden from them all.

When Corazon made his way to Zeff's apartment two floors down, Sanji coughing against his shoulder, he thought of a good excuse. The kid found what he thought were breath mints in the park. He brought them to the apartment. They weren't breath mints. Zeff would understand. Zeff knew how kids could be, bringing anything home.

Once the older man opened the door and saw his grandson in the state he was in, Corazon did not expect to be kicked so hard that his ribs snapped. From the angle the old man used, he kicked Corazon into his apartment, slammed the door shut, and Corazon knew it was the end for him because he heard the sound of a gun being retrieved from a hidden panel just above the door. All he could do at that moment was encase them all into Silence so that their neighbors couldn't hear what was happening.

"Breath mints - ! From outside! The park!" Corazon croaked, hand up in a pleading action as his other touched his ribs. "He's okay - ! Doffy saved him! He knew - !"

"Sanji would not pick up something from outside and take them! He knows better! I know your brother has been selling that shit to his friends!" Zeff snarled, looking fiercely murderous as he pressed the gun into Corazon's face, moments from pulling the trigger. His grandson was tucked in his arm, that pegleg pinning down Corazon's hip. He squeezed his eyes shut because he knew Zeff would pull that trigger. He'd seen it happen before.

"Stop! _Stop_! _Please_! Stop! Zeff! It was an accident!" Law cried, throwing himself over Corazon, teary eyed and desperate. Zeff pulled up the gun with a snarl, and attempted to kick him aside, but the boy clung stubbornly to Corazon. Corazon had no reserve, showing Law aside so hard that the boy slammed up against the nearby refrigerator, and grabbed the gun to force Zeff's attention on him.

" _Not_ him! I'm the adult, leave him alone!"

"I'm the one that gave it to him!" Law cried. "I did it! I didn't know what they were! Don't shoot him, please, that's my dad, _please_!"

Zeff's fury started to die away. Law was once again over Corazon, hugging him tightly, and Corazon was pulling him off, and Sanji was somehow asleep in Zeff's arm, but he was breathing normally. He smelled metallic, and Zeff could feel his heart beating strongly against him. Whatever happened, the end fact that he was _okay_.

But he did not trust this family as far as he could throw them.

"Get out of here," he muttered, stepping away from the door. "Don't ever come near him again."

" _Thank you_ ," Corazon said, picking up his boy – it didn't matter that he was a middle schooler, he was still his boy – and hastily leaving the apartment. On their way back home, Law finally started to cry in earnest, and Corazon held him gently because they needed each other at this point.

When Sanji came over the next day, he had no memory of the incident at all. Corazon made sure Law said nothing, and Doflamingo locked himself in his room without looking at the kid.

"I made banana pudding!" Sanji said cheerily, looking nothing like the mess he was a day ago. In fact, he looked lively and healthy and there was nothing indicative in that he'd suffered any sort of trauma. "With Nilla cookies. The old man's in a mood, so I made him send me to my room, so I snuck out. Want to go down to the park, Law?"

After a cautious look at Corazon, Law said, "Sure."

"Say goodbye," Corazon whispered to him with a frown. "It might be the last."

"The last what?" Sanji overheard, looking over curiously.

"Nothing."

Ten minutes later, Sanji sighed heavily. Finishing off his pudding, Sanji said, "We're moving. The old man got a job in another city."

"That sucks," Law said, frowning, sucking the flavor from his braces. He played with the pudding with a far off look. "For how long?"

"I don't know. It's going to be so lonely…"

: :

Sanji remembered that. It explained the jumble of images, the sounds, the taste of something metallic on his tongue. He remembered all the emotions associated with it, and he remembered Zeff being so angry and helplessly scared that he'd snapped and screamed at him, and Sanji found that the only way he could see his friends was to sneak out. He was good at that. They'd moved to San Francisco. He only remembered leaving the plane and looking at the skyline, amazed by the fog and the sharp chill in the air. After that was a blank memory, but in its place was being bullied by his brothers and shunned by his real father, and making a vow to run away. _False_ memories. His real family had been murdered by a rival faction in France, where Zeff had run off with him, and…

Looking over the setting sun, he thought about all the feelings associated with that day. Not only did that memory come back to him, but so did many other things. Being introduced to the White Rabbit, using it to fight Crocodile, remembering how Law made it his mission to eliminate it completely. Watching classmates overdose on it on the battlefield. Selling it for Arlong, to pay for Nami's debt. It was like a sudden connection of Christmas tree lights that illuminated a heavy darkness and gave him new memories to remember.

He looked at Law with an awestruck expression, remembering everything associated with the drug until he came to the day when Hiluluk confessed that it was him that reintroduced it to the city after trying to make his own batch. After that, those memories were vague, only because he'd been dosed with the Tea Party, and that timeline was going to be forever spotty.

"It felt like I'd just remembered parts of a favorite book," he said wondrously. "A lot of it. From that moment to…but only regarding what I knew of the White Rabbit."

"Even that? Because you didn't back then," Law said, tossing the warm filter aside. They were sitting at the edge of the sidewalk, overlooking the street. Watching cars go by, and the city lights illuminate the night sky. A dog barked in the distance, pulling its teenage owner along behind it.

"I remember _not_ remembering it," Sanji said vaguely, recalling the night Law told him why eliminating the White Rabbit was his mission. Mistaking his determination as a mission for someone else. "I guess I can see why."

"Because it traumatized everyone?"

"I suppose. It was an accident, though. I don't blame anybody for it. It's not like you knew what it was, and Doffy had them up on the top shelf for a reason."

"Well, it killed us all. It was horrible."

"But it's not around anymore, because of you," Sanji reminded him, leaning in to hug him, utterly grateful for all his actions up to this point. "Because you're a romantic homo, all those boys' love novels you used to read when you were younger made you into the man you are, today."

"Shut up."

"Nonetheless, I'm lucky because I picked a good one on that stairway. I could've went home with the man that offered me candy and a movie, but I chose the boy that threatened to beat me for making a mess."

"Ah, the choices we make as we navigate through life," Law said.

"I'm aware that I make things difficult for the both of us, but…please…don't give up one me," Sanji said, pressing his face against his shoulder, comforted by the feel and smell of the man that he honestly couldn't imagine living without.

: :

Chopper screamed as the dinosaur's teeth snapped inches from them. Currently, Penguin was holding tight onto him with both arms, screaming at the same time. The dinosaur wearing Drake's clothes knocked aside abandoned vehicles as it chased after them. Doflamingo was on the back of its neck, hollering for back up as Corazon hung onto its tail. Shachi was feet ahead of them, screaming almost none stop as Gladius watched them from afar, nursing a coffee and calling for the back up Doflamingo requested.

From a building rooftop nearby, Jabra laughed hysterically, unable to take the situation seriously. Kaku's mouth hung open, certain those two stringy guys with hats over their eyes were going to be eaten, soon. All this chaos over a tiny, mutated animal in a baby carrier. He couldn't understand it.

"Give me the details, again," he said to Lucci, who only watched bitterly, looking at his Apple watch, then scanning the skyline for any sign of the Strawhats. "That little cow – "

" _Reindeer_ ," Hattori corrected.

"Just talk to me yourself," Kaku said impatiently.

"I'm feeling someway about the entire thing."

"Fine. _Gosh_. So that little reindeer belongs to Blackleg as his…pet."

"It's more of a child to them. He's very intelligent. I've watched him assist Blackleg with his homework. No one knows where he came from, or how they came together."

Kaku cleared his throat noisily. Drake was climbing atop of a dump truck to gain some distance, the two men picking up speed. They were like fashionably dressed ninjas – one flipped upward onto a lamp post to somersault over the dinosaur's jaw, jump over Doflamingo's startled person, and use the creature's height to leap and catch onto a nearby window of a building. Then he scaled that and was on the rooftop in seconds.

The other climbed up a tree, darted over Drake's opened mouth as he made to snap at him, use Doflamingo as a springboard to a blinking tattoo parlor sign, then climb up and over that to join his partner. Drake screamed with frustration, then chased his tail because Corazon started biting him.

"Some guys will adopt pets if they can't adopt kids, I suppose," Kaku muttered.

"Isn't he cute?" Hattori cooed, wings moving himself in a huggy motion.

"Ah…whatever you say. SO. The animal is…Blackleg's pretend child, which he shares with the Donquixote kid, who is his live-in boyfriend, whose father is Corazon, and Corazon is Doflamingo's younger brother. _That's_ the situation."

"Correct."

"I see. And these two men?"

Lucci answered for himself. "These unidentified men are part of that brat's entourage. The Happy Virus is their calling card. They were responsible for bringing down the White Rabbit."

"Ah. So they're non-syndicate members, correct?"

"Yes. They tend to terrorize the syndicates for their own needs – Spandem suspects that their leader operates under a different name, because there is no actual record of _Donquixote_ Law," Lucci said. "While there is a birth certificate, it's obviously a paid off piece of shit from Europe. But with how much those two travel, who's to say he's actually from Italy?"

"Okay. Well…I guess until we actually catch them, we won't know much about that group."

"Correct."

Jabra pulled himself up from the floor, hanging over the edge of the rooftop. Once he saw that Drake was trying to twist his head back to snap at Doflamingo, he chuckled, wiping his eyes. He rose to standing position.

"So, what are we going to do, guy?" he asked Lucci impatiently. "As good as a laugh as I'm getting out of this, what are _we_ doing here?"

"We're going to do Strawhats job for him," Lucci said. "The goal is to get them to cease and desist their childish behavior. Get that deer. Shut down Drake. Send the brothers home. All with extreme prejudice. Let's make a name for ourselves, tonight. Strawhat had his chance. Maybe with his 'child' under our custody, Blackleg will listen to reason."

 **: :**

The resort was beautiful. It stood overlooking the lake at an angle, the city to the right – the change in scenery allowed Sanji to see the stars a little more clearly, the lake edges forming shadowy walls in the distance. Small, quaint, taking in big money names – he swore he saw a celebrity with her adopted kids walking up the hall towards the dining area – the resort was glass walls and high fences and the smiling guest service agent assured them that they'd have a good time here.

Considering what they intended to do to have a good time, Sanji hoped that the talks hadn't hindered the other man's desire for him. Really, there was only one reason why Date Night was made possible in the first place. He still had hormones that made it difficult to ignore just how attractive the man was tonight. Which made him sullenly consider that maybe it was those same hormones that turned him into this mess. Were those still seventeen as well? As Law paid for the room in cash, he took out Law's cellphone from his backpocket and found the number he'd used to call Corazon earlier. As Law dealt with the overly chirpy agent, Sanji wandered off to check on Chopper.

"Hi, Sanji," Corazon's breathless voice greeted him, and Sanji listened closely, sure that he heard the sounds of distress on the other end.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked curiously, fiddling with a railing that overlooked a stairway that promised the resort's indoor swimming pool and spa areas.

"Law never calls me more than once a week. Everything's still fine, here."

"Are you guys still at the park?" Sanji asked, frowning as he looked at the time.

"No, no."

"Then why are you so breathless?"

"I'm a smoker!"

"Well, so am I, but…are you running?"

"Ah… no, just taking a very brisk…walk…to…from the store! For candy."

"Don't give Chopper candy! Make sure he brushes his teeth, because I doubt there are reindeer dentists around here!"

"It's just…one…look, everything is fine. Here."

"Hi, Sanji!" Chopper greeted, and hearing his happy voice made Sanji feel a little better than he did the last phone call. "Everything's okay! We're on our way home!"

"STOP CALLING, CAROL BRADY!"

"STOP INSINUATING THAT WE'RE BAD BABYSITTERS!"

"LET MEN BE MEN!"

"The fact that you're all together suggests that I should be worried!" Sanji snapped back, pulling the phone from his ear at the shouts.

"Let us talk to the man of the relationship! We can't reason with women!"

"That's because you can't even talk to one in the first place!" Sanji snarled back.

At the silence on the other end, Sanji smiled in smug satisfaction.

Shachi asked, "So, are you on your period, or what? Because that was uncalled for -"

Sanji hung up because it was obvious that Chopper was fine. He turned around to see if Law were done with the agent, and realized that the woman was asking him inane questions that sounded nothing like the resort marketing pitch, so he went and liberated his boyfriend from her verbal clutches.

"Chopper is doing fine," he reported. "They're all still hanging out, together. Shachi wanted to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk to him."

"You better find out where they are and what they're doing, because if he even _guesses_ where we are…"

With a suffering sigh, Law took his phone from him, dialing reluctantly as he passed Sanji the card keys and their overnight bags.

"Five seconds," he said as Corazon answered, breathlessly. In the background, he could hear the sound of gunfire, shouts, and car horns.

"Don't tell Sanji, but Doffy showed up, and he took off with Chopper, we have him back, but we're apparently being chased by some guys that grew annoyed with all of us fighting off Drake's temper tantrum. Chopper's with me. He's fine. Everything's good!"

"What store did you go to? All of them have chip readers, now," Law said, vaguely curious about the ruckus as Sanji wandered off, looking for the rooms closest to the number printed on the card envelope.

"Over here by Hogback's back door. I don't know who these guys are. But I have to admit, you've got these two trained pretty good. Doffy's using one to fight off two, and the other's – well, I don't know what he's doing, but…we're good!"

Law figured Doflamingo was controlling Shachi, and Penguin was doing his best to find a way out of the situation. Like good minions, they always had a back up plan if they felt they were going to be overwhelmed. And he was curious to know who 'these guys' were, but felt confident that, with both Donquixote brothers together, along with Penguin and Shachi, Chopper was in good hands.

"Sounds good to me. Make sure he shovels his own waste onto the neighbor's potted flowers. Put him in the kennel outside the sliding doors after he brushes his teeth. Then don't give in to a bedtime story – he's just stalling you to stay up longer. There's extra Dimetap atop of the fridge if one dosage isn't enough, but four tablespoons usually puts him out for the next six hours."

"I'm so relieved you never had kids of your own. Have a good time!"

"Are we still safe?" Sanji asked, leading him down the stairs to the second floor, and taking a corridor to the rooms located just beyond the spa area.

"We are."

"Law…we're okay, right?" Sanji asked, needing reassurance after all the things that had been said, tonight. "You and me?"

"We're fine. Admittedly, maybe these were things that needed to come up," Law said, still feeling an uncomfortable weight in his lungs at some of the topics. Once he found the room, Sanji used one of the key cards to open it.

The other key card he pushed into Law's back pocket. "Don't lose it."

"Wow, this room's amazing!" Sanji exclaimed, pushing past him to turn on a light nearby. It illuminated a living room set up with a large tv, wrapped tea and snacks set on the coffee table. The couch looked to be a pull out sofa, and the sliding doors nearby showed off a viewing of the lake. Their door would open to a lawn that led down to what looked like a walking trail that gave promise to a wildlife viewing area some distance away. To his left was the bedroom with a king-sized bed that had a step stool to climb upon, and that area opened up to the bathroom nearby. It boasted a large tub and shower, walking room to a closet. For a rented room, it was the size of their living room plus their shared bedroom.

"It's like a small apartment!"

"Yeah, it's nice," Law commented, having seen better, but Sanji liked it so that was all that mattered. Sanji set their things down on the coffee table and ventured towards the sliding room doors, looking out at the rising moon. The lake shimmered gently, and people walked up the pathway, enjoying the chilly air hand in hand.

He heard Law pick up the remote control to the tv, flipping through the channels until he came across one with a familiar show.

"Doffy calls Cora 'Claire', and it totally sets him off," Law commented, watching the woman violently organize her three whiny children into a van while the man-child of a husband moped over his real estate rival. "I can see why."

"I'm going to go take a shower. Please make sure the perimeters are secure."

"Aye, aye."

Once Sanji disappeared into the bathroom, Law sat down on the couch and looked at his phone. He pulled up the forums that the syndicates used to 'talk' to each other, and read a few posts about how Drake engaged into battle with the brothers over a mutated teddy bear. Kid was off downtown, drunk as a skunk with Bonney and Apoo terrorizing a school dance; Arlong and Crocodile were dining at a restaurant, and Hogback was complaining about the LA air. Krieg was looking for Gin, again. There were several complaints about the Strawhats being MIA when it came to the troubles of the younger syndicate heads, but Nami was assuring them that the situation was being 'handled'.

He put his phone down and thought about the evening, so far. He wasn't sure what conclusion to come to – but one thing he was sure of, Sanji didn't know what he wanted when it came to his future. And maybe he was right – he wasn't the same boy he was when Hiluluk took him. When his memories came back and that false self of his was gone, Sanji would be a completely different person. What if by the end of it, he didn't want to be with Law, anymore? What if he wanted to be free to explore the world as he knew it alone, to accept invitations from other men?

All the planning that Law had felt were sure steps to their future now became shaky. He felt he was the only one committed to them. Which really stung after everything they'd gone through. He realized that he needed to change his way of thinking, now. It was safest, after hearing what Sanji had to say.

And this mysterious man that Sanji 'almost' kissed. Whoever he was, Law had no doubt that this was why Sanji needed time alone to himself. No amount of thinking could make him assume otherwise. He wondered who he was. He wondered _how_ they met. _Where_ they met. He knew he had no control over what Sanji thought or felt – if he felt attracted to this man, then it depended on his own actions where they went.

He felt pretty rotten about it, though. No matter how much effort and feeling one person could put into another, it just wasn't enough to keep them if they themselves felt another way.

He sighed heavily, elbow on his knee, palm on forehead. He wanted to be angry about it, but he really was just scared. It was frightening putting one's heart out, expecting it to be cared for in the same manner it was being treated, then having it dropped to the floor without care.

He remembered being unwilling to open up to the kid when they first started messing around. Hiding all his feelings and thoughts and time, and then slowly realizing that the kid had a hard grip on him, whose very actions pried Law out from behind the wall he'd built up over the years to keep him safe. Now, he felt he needed to start repairing that wall. Because if Sanji did decide to leave him to 'find himself', then Law wasn't going to be the same person, anymore. The only reason why he was the way he was was _because_ of Sanji.

But at the same time, what if Sanji was truly struggling to settle himself from within, and needed his help? Maybe he felt more comfortable knowing Law was always going to be there and could pull himself from the unrest that he was experiencing?

It was really a 50/50 situation at the moment. He supposed after this night, when they went back home, time would only tell where they were going. No doubt Sanji would meet with his mysterious suitor, and come to conclusions of his own. So with that in mind, how was Law supposed to take the situation?

The only thing he could do was wait and see, and even that was dangerous.

But just in case…he began looking for the bricks that had once made up his wall.

: :

When Sanji emerged from the bathroom with a nervous look to his features, wearing the white spa robe that came with the room, he saw that Law was watching tv with a disinterested expression. He got up from the couch to switch with him, and Sanji stopped him between rooms so he could kiss him.

"We're still safe?" he asked, enjoying the smell of the other man, reaching up to wrap his arms around his neck, pushing against him.

Law kissed him back, hands finding his naked hips, then pushed him aside. "Yep."

"Hurry up."

With mounting excitement, Sanji went to the sliding doors and drew the blinds over them. Then he sat on the couch, waiting impatiently as he watched the show that Law had mentioned. After some moments, he had to change the channel. Claire reminded him of himself, he had to admit. Always striving for perfection and getting pissed when it didn't come as easily as she'd planned it.

When Law emerged from the bathroom, Sanji hastily shut off the television, disrobing immediately. He went to him eagerly, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him down to him. Law almost stumbled with him in his path, making their way to the bed.

He figured after so many interruptions, Sanji was just as determined as he to find satisfaction. He lifted him up and tossed him onto the bed, removing his towel.

"Ooh, so _manly_!" Sanji snickered as he felt Law crawl over him. He reached up to feel him, fingers moving over the width of his shoulders, feeling the flexing action of the muscle there. Then he felt up the strong width of his neck, to jam his fingers into his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp as he felt Law lean down, finding his lips in the darkness.

Sanji closed his eyes, fingers tightening in the thick strands as Law's mouth moved over his. Gently at first, the pressure nice and soft before Sanji opened his mouth to accept his tongue. But Law pulled away at that, one hand resting over Sanji's bared stomach, moving his fingers tenderly over the ridges of Sanji's abs before creeping up over his chest. Sanji released his hair with one hand, placing it over his, enjoying the touch against his torso. When Law found a nipple, Sanji felt a light shudder happen, goose bumps lifting at the feel of his rough fingers against the soft, sensitive skin. His fingers tightened over his, arching upward, feeling the man shift over him. He felt his tongue touch him there; a gentle press, then a slow swipe, before tracing over the areole with firm action. When it pebbled in response to the touch, he traced the pink circle there with his fingertip before placing firm kisses above Sanji's breast, moving up to his collarbone.

Sanji shifted restlessly underneath him, curling a leg around his hip as his hands shifted to underhook Law's arms, wanting more friction and action. He encouraged Law's face back to his, licking his lower lip before biting the upper very gently. Once Law opened his mouth, Sanji's tongue slipped inside, and he tasted the mouthwash Law used, and explored the straight line of his teeth. He dropped a hand to find and trace a nipple with his fingers, before plucking lightly at it, sucking Law's tongue into his mouth once the man shifted again.

He made a low sound as he felt Law's hands over his hips, pressing firmly in that area, teasing the line just atop of one leg. It always made Sanji shiver, feeling Law's fingers move from the line to brush lightly at his pubic hair. Teasing him by touching around his erection, rubbing up from around his balls to his hip before moving away to one long thigh.

"Touch me there," Sanji demanded, pushing up against him insistently.

"No. I don't want to."

"Don't be a brat!"

" _You_ are! Being all demanding and shit. You're so bossy in bed," Law complained low, leaning in to bite his collarbone, licking lightly and tasting the saltiness of Sanji's skin, smelling the lingering traces of the soap he'd used. He felt Sanji's impatient hands on him, pinching lightly, trying to direct his exploring hands to his erection.

He reached between them to capture a hand, settling it over Sanji's own dick. "Play with yourself, then."

"If I have to," Sanji muttered sullenly, his other hand reaching between them to find Law's dick. "You're not even as hard as me!"

"I'm trying to be all romantic and shit, and you're so damn bossy!"

Sanji just laughed, releasing both of them to wrap his arms around his neck, pulling him down for more kisses. He wrapped his legs around his waist and clung to him as Law grunted, trying not to fall over him with his weight hanging from him like this. He shifted so that he was on his back and Sanji was atop of him, and the man sounded satisfied with this position. He straightened out one leg between his, the other still curled around him – damn that flexibility of his – and he held onto Law's shoulders. From this position, he could hump Law's lower belly, seeking the friction he'd wanted.

He moaned softly, a sound that always made Law hot in seconds because Sanji could make the sexiest noises in bed. Then he found Law's neck with his teeth, biting lightly to show his growing frustration at not being satisfied. The feel of Sanji's hair against his face made him sputter for a moment, before Law reached for the tube he'd tossed on the pillow nearby. He stretched his arms out beyond Sanji's back just to spill some into his hands, spilling a little on him as well.

"That's _cold_!"

"Sorry. Here," Law said, reaching between them to slick Sanji's dick with one hand. Sanji gave a small sound of pleasure, pushing his hips into that action as he sat up. In the faint light that came in from the window nearby, Law looked up at his face. His hand over his, Sanji pushed up into the action, tilting his head back as he received the friction he needed. With his other hand, Law cupped one ass cheek before slipping his fingers between them. With the lube, he wetted that crevice as Sanji humped his hand, before finding his opening.

"It doesn't hurt?" he asked cautiously, rimming it with one fingertip.

"Uh uh. Push it in," Sanji ordered him, reaching back with his hand to guide his.

"So bossy. I can't even do things myself around here," Law mock grumbled, slipping a slick finger up into his body. He winced as Sanji ground against it, giving a satisfied sound. Once he crooked it and found that spot, Sanji released his hold on him and leaned back, hands resting atop of Law's thighs as he sought that contact.

" _God_ yes, just like that. It's not enough," Sanji then said in one breath, lifting up with a frustrated noise. " _More_."

"It's not a race," Law told him, withdrawing his finger and lightly slapping his ass before twisting them around, Sanji on his back beneath him. Law reached for one of the pillows nearby, and slipped it under his hips. Then leaned forward, one hand on Sanji's hip, the other moving over his pubic hair, gently handling his balls. Spreading his legs, feet braced against the bed, Sanji reached out to touch his chest, watching as Law played with him. Then moaned when he felt Law's fingers in him, stretching him. He was growing anxious by the second – he kept looking at the other man's erection. He tried not to think about the last couple of times they'd done this.

He was determined to do this. They could do it. He really needed it, right now, because he felt so damn ravenous for something that he couldn't even identify. He was pretty sure all he needed was a good dick. He reached down to touch himself, stroking his own erection as his skin grew hot, sweat made his hair stick to him, and anticipation made his heart race.

He liked the way Law looked at him – all pleased and happy, just taking him all in, enjoying his reactions. The perv really liked the way Sanji responded to him, and he only teased him to feed his damn ego. But Sanji wasn't mad – he was pretty sure that once they had a successful coupling, Law wouldn't be teasing him so much.

He watched the other man pull away from him. Sanji felt open and ready, reaching down to feel himself as Law found the tube of lube nearby. Sanji closed his eyes because he hadn't expected to feel so sensitive as he rimmed his own entrance with his fingers, pushing in slightly to feel his own body respond to the movement.

"Stop that," Law told him, slapping his hand away. "Don't play with my toys."

" _Hurry_!"

But Law was not going to hurry. This part was the moment of truth. He was nervous, he was thinking too much –Sanji was much too hot and ready to go, and he felt pressure. Pressure to perform, pressure to make this happen, pressure to follow Sanji's demands. His erection was having a battle of its own to stay hard, and he knew that if he failed tonight – _again_ – Sanji was going to look elsewhere for his satisfaction. So it was important that he perform well, tonight.

Once he realized he was getting soft, horror made him still. He started to sweat. Anxiety raced through his veins, and his first thought was to say 'Fuck it', and leave, go watch the rest of the Modern Family marathon.

Sanji looked up at him, not knowing what was happening in Law's head at the moment. He reached out and pulled him over him, so Law had to brace himself with both hands alongside his head.

"Kiss me," came the gentle command, and Law kissed him because Sanji asked nicely. His legs curled around his waist, his tongue playing with his – Sanji's fingers were in his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. He sucked lightly at his tongue, then used his to rub gently, miming the actions of a blow job. When he pulled his mouth from Law's, he kissed his cheek, making his way to his ear – nibbled very lightly at his earrings before his hips lifted trying to align up with his erection.

Law was relieved to find that he was hard again, and just went for it. He entered him slowly, trying not to think – just pushing in gently, hearing Sanji's breathing shorten, his nails digging into his skin. He felt Sanji's body sucking him in, stretching to admit him. The feeling was incredible. Hot, narrow, slicked with lube – the noises leaving Sanji weren't that of pain or discomfort, like the first time. His hands left Law's upper body and went to his hips – at first gripping, then pushing before gripping again.

Once inside, Law struggled not to react. He thought of bills, the salmon he regretted not eating earlier – he was so hungry right now – he thought about how cute Sanji was to feed someone else's screaming kid, and how he looked leaving the aquarium with a happy smile. Anything to take his mind off the horrifyingly fast sensation that built in his balls.

Sanji's heavy breathing was interrupted with small sounds that left clenched teeth. Law honestly couldn't tell if he were in pain or enjoying it, but he wasn't moving. Law's hips twitched as he made to pull back, but he pushed in even further because Sanji's body wanted him to do so. It almost made his eyes roll into the back of his head, feeling the sensation all the way up his spine.

Then Sanji said hastily, "Stop. _Stop_. Don't move. _Stop_."

And hearing that sort of reaction wasn't encouraging, so Law froze, but even as he said that, Sanji's ass tightened around him, almost painfully, and Law wanted to retreat just to save himself. He grimaced as Sanji shifted, giving a choked shout, his fingers digging into Law's hips, then moving up to his chest, as if he were going to push him back. So Law intended on pulling out because this was obviously a negative reaction, and Sanji made those sounds again, a desperate tone in his voice –

"Don't move! _Please_!"

So Law automatically pushed in because he wasn't supposed to move, and Sanji cried out again, and this time Law was going to pull out because he was obviously in pain, but as he did so, Sanji tightened around him again and he was shouting " _FUCK_!" to the neighbors in this weird voice. Law froze, horrified, unsure of what to do when Sanji was not taking things well – then heard him give a long, shaky moan, followed by gibberish that could've been a request for tea, or a demand for an oil change.

"Are you…okay? Should I pull out?" he asked tentatively, leaning over him with a concerned expression.

"I told you to stop," Sanji muttered shakily, frowning at him.

"I – I did! I _stopped_!"

"Not in time! I came already -! _Somehow_. I don't know how, I just did! I wanted us to do it together!"

Law stared at that sullen face of his, absorbing those childishly uttered words. Then realized the content of it. Curiously, he reached down between them and felt the sticky moisture there. Sanji slapped his hand away when he touched his softening dick, and Law felt relief hit him hard.

He laughed because _of course_ it'd end this way, and Sanji pinched him impatiently before squeezing his dick so hard that Law stopped laughing and cringed instead. He leaned down to kiss his sweaty chest, to feel the rapid beating of his heart against his cheek, then fucked him until he found his own release.

After room service and a shower later, Law fucked him again and Sanji got his request.

When it came to breakfast the next morning, while Law was in the shower, Sanji went to get coffee from the shop near the spa. Law saw that he'd missed at least seven different calls from various numbers, and he hoped it wasn't an emergency. There were no texts or voicemails left, so he attempted to call Corazon.

As the phone was ringing, Sanji re-entered the room with their coffee, and Law lowered his phone, his mouth dropping open with incredulity. He hung up as Sanji gave him a questioning look, puzzled by Law's reaction to just seeing him.

He was wearing a pink cardigan with a white v-neck shirt, sloppily tucked into a pair of brown cargo pants that rolled at the calves. He was wearing his leather shoes, the brown ones with the buckle. While moving stiffly, he didn't feel any way to have Law look at him like that.

" _Wow_. Sanji," Law said, sitting at the edge of the bed as his eyes roved from the stop of Sanij's head to his shoes. "I have never…seen you look so _gay_. Like, if I ever doubted it before, I don't doubt it right now. This is the _gayest_ I've _ever_ seen you look since you were a teenager, and you let girls dress you."

" _SHUT UP_!" Sanji snapped at him, throwing his coffee at him. "Says the guy that fucked my ass twice last night! Fucking homo!"

"'Fucking' is right!" Law had to laugh, catching the iced coffee Sanji had thrown, the content spilling lightly on the mussed sheets behind him. "Look at you, my gay little homo with the pink prep coat – "

" _Shut up_ , you're such an ass! If it offends you, fuck off! I'm comfortable."

"No, c'mere. Come here, let me fix your hair."

"Fuck off, you shitty predator. I hate you. You're no better! What's with the goth look, you wannabe emo freak?"

"It's a black shirt. It screams _man_. Which makes sense in this relationship, considering you're into pink cardigans, and shit. Come here, Sanji, let me look at something."

"No, fuck off. _Die_. I'm having a cigarette."

Law went after him, dropping his phone on the bed. It vibrated with a text that he didn't hear, Sanji fighting off his advances – it ended when Sanji finally kicked him over the coffee table and stomped outside to go walk the trail for a proper smoking area. Still chuckling, Law went to retrieve his phone. His smile died as he read Penguin's text.

" _Shit_ ," he said, knowing he was in big trouble.

At that exact moment, the room phone rang.

With one last look at the text, he went to answer it, knowing it was more bad news. Since only Penguin knew where they were, he assumed it was him.

"How bad is it?" he asked upon answering.

"Not that bad at all if both of you come down to the lobby within the next ten minutes," Lucci told him. "Let us have breakfast together, and we'll talk business."

: :

Sanji stared out at the lake. He felt pretty good. He was in a great mood – but he had some reservations about the state of their future. He felt that what he'd said changed something between them. Law hadn't quite recovered from their first conversation, and his quiet mood had been upsetting. So Sanji had no doubt that his childhood friend had come to conclusions of his own, and was building his insecurities over what had been said. And maybe Law was right to think that way. Sanji himself didn't know what he truly wanted.

He stabbed the cigarette into the nearby trashcan ashtray, frowning at the water that glimmered with the morning light. He felt he had to prepare himself for the worst. He regretted speaking aloud of his inner turmoil. From now on, he'd have to keep it to himself to figure it all out on his own.

He looked over at the sound of footsteps, and smiled at Law. But then he realized the other man was wearing a grim expression, and Sanji knew he wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"What?" he demanded.

"First things first, Chopper is okay. Second…I'm sorry. You can fight, right?"

"Yeah. I mean…probably nothing spectacular, but, yeah. Not like last time," Sanji admitted, but he reached over to grab his shirt with a pensive look. "Why? What's wrong? Where's Chopper? What happened?"

"Well," Law said, walking on, headed to one of the side entrances. "They found out where we're staying. Doffy and Cora are subdued – more than likely jailed somewhere. Penguin and Shachi are being held in a different location. We're needed inside to meet with those responsible for this mess."

"They're _here_?" Sanji asked with dismay, then anger crossed his features at the thought of Chopper being held in some sort of ransoming gesture. "One of the syndicates responsible for this?"

"No. That voice, it was the man who challenged you the other day."

Sanji paused in mid-step. Dread built in his lungs. Made it difficult to breathe for a moment. All his confused feelings and thoughts built and tumbled around in his thoughts, threw off his anger. To be faced with the man while he was with Law – he was certain he would be obvious.

But then again, the man was holding onto Chopper, so that pissed him off. He had to put aside these confusing emotions.

"Great," he muttered, Law opening the door for them, then looking down at his outfit.

"I don't know if you'll be taken seriously like that…"

Sanji couldn't help but slap his shoulder, pushing him ahead of him roughly. "Stop it! Get serious!"

"You're like one of those vacationing homos you'd see with a fanny pack – "

"You're so fucking annoying! Who made you fashion police, you emo homo, with your skinny jeans and tight shirt –"

It really pissed Sanji off as Law gave a mock demure expression that caused a few heads to whip their way.

"Are you checking me out again, Sanji? I don't think I can be myself if you're thinking _someway_ about me, like that. I'm a very self conscious and shy boy, I don't do well with aggressive homos - "

Unable to resist his impulses, Sanji jumped on him, causing Law to yell out and stumble into a nearby wall, both of them nearly tumbling to the floor as the others watching them looked on with bewildered expressions.

A few minutes later, Sanji followed after Law with a nervous expression. He felt anxiety in his blood, twisting his gut. As they neared the lobby, he drew in a deep breath and put away those feelings, resolving instead to face the situation with the utmost seriousness. He took note of their surroundings, already planning a route to the lake, just in case Lucci decided to lash out the way he did the last time.

"It'll only take a few seconds to retrieve my sword from the car."

"How could you even leave it in there?"

"It's frowned upon when you bring a weapon into a goddamn resort, alright?"

"Okay, okay, never mind. I trust you know what you're doing," Sanji said as they walked out from the hallway, and made their way to the lobby. The agent behind the desk nearby greeted them cheerily, and a couple of workers skirted around them with cleaning carts. It was a beautiful morning, the lake visible in the massive windows beyond them, and there were guests enjoying coffee near the lobby area, visiting each other quietly.

Feeling the presence of someone behind them, Sanji looked over his shoulder to seeing Jabra following along, having lingered near the desk area once they came into view. He followed them with a bored expression, sunglasses propped high on his forehead, long ponytail slapping against his back as he made the long strides necessary to catch up to him.

"Good morning. Fine day out, isn't it?" he asked, too cheerful and easygoing for this type of situation.

"Don't think I appreciate you and your friends, right now," Sanji snapped back at him.

"Don't be that way. It's only business!"

"Kidnapping isn't _business_!" Sanji pushed ahead of Law once he saw Lucci, scanning the area for Chopper. "Where is he, you son of a bitch? How could you think putting your filthy hands on him is in any way okay?"

"Calm down, he's fine," Lucci said, left eyebrow twitching ever so slightly as Sanji walked right up to him, looking infuriated. Hattori sat calmly on his shoulder, tilting his head as his human spoke. "I had hoped we'd talk about the work load you left with Spandem. I don't agree to it."

"Then that's something _he_ needs to figure out! He's your boss, right? That's _his_ shit to figure out! For you to come in and threaten members of my family - !"

"This pet?" Lucci asked skeptically, his eyes roving over Sanji's outfit for a brief moment before his lips tightened with some unidentified thought.

"He's _not_ a pet! If you held any sort of intelligent conversation with him, you'd find that he's not a fucking pet! He's a – "

"Calm down. You're much too loud. I'm sure that vocalization is appreciated elsewhere, but we're in a public setting, and you're making a scene. Come eat, the pair of you. I worked up an appetite cleaning up the mess your friends hadn't bothered to clean up, last night," Lucci said, straightening his tie as he gestured at the restaurant nearby.

" _No_ , where is he? Where is Chopper? And the others?"

"It'll be discussed after we sit. Jabra gets cranky if he doesn't have his second meal, and I'd rather not deal with that attitude this time of day."

"Hell, it's too early to be dealing with you, but I ain't complaining that much about it," Jabra said, encouraging Law to walk with them as Lucci led the way to the restaurant. He laid down a credit card, and the host took it with a nod of understanding. He led the way to an enclosed dining area, the massive table suggesting a group party setting, and a couple of the workers pulled back the curtains and blinds to allow a look out at the lake. Reluctantly, Sanji sat nearest the door, Lucci at one end of the table, Jabra at the end. Law sat on the other side, facing Sanji.

After drink orders were made and served, the door was shut quietly behind their server.

"Now, to begin, I had made it clear that the Strawhats' asshattery was not going to be tolerated for very long," Lucci said, setting down his mimosa. "Last night was the last straw. I watched three syndicate heads make complete and utter fools of themselves over your dear…pretend child."

"What? What happened?" Sanji asked, bewildered before looking at Law with accusation, Law looking up at the ceiling to avoid meeting those furious eyes.

Lucci nodded with understanding. "I see. You were…unaware of it."

"You're in _trouble_!" Jabra mock-whispered to Law.

"The Donquixote brothers were fighting over custody of this child, and thus made a general mess from B street to 68th avenue and Rock. Which is Drake's claimed territory. Once Drake heard of it, he went to put a stop to it. Unfortunately, he was drawn into the madness. Was there a Strawhat available to put a stop to things? There are six of you, but _no one_ responded."

Sanji had nothing to say. But his fingers balled into fists and he had a million things to say to Law about lying to him, but it was also his own fault, too. He knew something was happening.

"I see. Well. I guess there really isn't anything I can say to fix what had been done," he muttered, vaguely embarrassed for his lack of action on the matter.

"Why is he being put on the spot?" Law asked Lucci. "It's Strawhat himself you should've approached, first. He's the one that made this big decision in the first place."

"When I am looking at you, or I say your name, that's when you should be speaking to me," Lucci said with a slight frown in his direction.

"He can play that stubborn game all day, bro," Jabra told Law. "Even to us."

"I don't give a shit. All I'm saying, he's talking pointlessly to the wrong person. If he wants to waste his time, he should at least acknowledge the fact."

"The only reason why I blame _you_ for this mess is because of these," Lucci then said to Sanji, pulling out the papers that were crinkled beyond repair. He put them between them. "It is an uneven number. And while it's a relief that you feel there is no saving these fools from any sort of acceptable justice, what matters is that it is not enough to help pay any bills what so ever. Spandem still has the pile you left for him. Kindly go through it again and find it acceptable that they are all there for a reason."

"I refuse to give you bastards that sort of power, just because you feel you're being slighted a paycheck," Sanji told him. "Get a third job. These are human lives you're fucking around with."

"You fail to grasp the situation, Blackleg."

"I understand the situation perfectly! If it were up to Luffy, you wouldn't have a job at all. Be grateful for the scraps you do get."

" _Unacceptable_!" Lucci snapped, rising from his chair, voice changing slightly as they looked at him with caution. Jabra tapped his nails on the table, giving him a frown as Law narrowed his eyes, and Sanji glared at him. Hattori returned a moment later, fluffing out his wings as Lucci sat slowly.

He straightened his collar. "Excuse me. It's been a long night. My nerves are a little fragile."

Jabra snorted, rolling his eyes.

"I went through that pile five times. My decision still stands," Sanji said stubbornly, picking up his water. "And I apologize for last night's actions, and I'll take the blame for it. I had an idea that something was happening, and didn't put any effort into making my own decision. But return Chopper. I don't care what you do with the others. They're grown men who made their decisions."

"There is another thing I'd like to discuss," Lucci said, Hattori leaving his shoulder to walk the table, eyeing Law with surprisingly suspicious eyes. "Last night made it clear that the Strawhats' inability to police the syndicates and their destructive actions has fallen into our hands. We handled the situation justly. We put away the rabble, and took control of the situation. All without further destruction to the city. Which will be billed to Arlong, with the expectation that the Donquixote brothers and Drake submit their own payment for damages caused. As for your friends, since they are not of any syndicate relations, they'll be kept until an agreement has been reached."

Law frowned at the older man. While he had no worries for Penguin and Shachi while Bepo was still free, most likely on his way to rescue them, he didn't like the way the man negotiated.

"What sort of agreement?" he asked.

"That you enter a formal declaration of being a syndicate yourselves."

"Not happening."

"I was prepared for you saying that," Lucci said, withdrawing another paper from his jacket, and then giving it to Hattori to give to him. Law took it with a frown, opening it to see the memorandum of understanding that proclaimed he and the trio as being a 'formal' organization, which would allow the policing over them as the other syndicates were. "Signing it now will indicate your cooperation, considering the position you're in. Right now, there's nothing protecting those two from any immunity. They're free to die when I give the word. Why should they be protected? With as much trouble as you have caused to the syndicates with your independence, I'm sure many of them would agree that this is the better choice. At least, as a recognized organization, you'd be immune to our compulsions."

"That's not fair," Sanji interrupted. "You can't do that. You're threatening civilians."

"I'm threatening to eliminate common street scum," Lucci said. "Nobody cares for rats."

"You're threatening two of my friends' lives, and I find it unacceptable. They are the ones in charge of making sure Chopper was safe. They did everything they possibly could to do that when the brothers fought each other. If you're threatening them, then you're threatening me," Sanji growled, standing up from his chair.

Lucci looked at him sternly for a few moments. "Sit down. I can't take you seriously, dressed like that."

"SHUT UP!"

"I told you, love," Law murmured, still looking over the memorandum. He signaled for a pen, and Sanji was shocked that he'd actually sign it. With a slight twitch of satisfaction, Lucci tossed a pen his way.

"You're _not_ going to sign that!" Sanji snapped at Law.

"I'm not. I see some unacceptable typos and grammar errors in this thing, and I refuse to give my signature to something so poorly written," Law mumbled, crossing out some sentences and rewriting them.

Lucci's eyebrow twitched again, Jabra looking at him cautiously. The table gave a slight protest as his fingers clenched over the edge of it, Hattori fluttering onto a chair for safety.

"Your temper is not something you should show so easily," Sanji told him flatly, still standing.

"And besides," he added, foot tapping impatiently on the floor, "What fucking balls you have, tracking me down on a private weekend getaway, and throwing your weight around like it fucking matters. The bakery lets its workers run amuck without control? You might be all animals, but that doesn't mean you have to actually act like them."

"Listen here, kid, you shitty, pink cardigan wearing brat. We're behind on bills! And the first job we get, we get hit with pink slips? I don't think so! Of course we're going to bitch about it!" Jabra growled, rising up from his chair. "All because you kids think you can handle an adult's position! You've been making a muck out of this role since you all took it! Of course we're going to complain!"

"Shut up, you shitty dog. Your barking does nothing to convince me of anything!"

"If your boss wrote this, he must've paid some middle schooler to type it out on a typewriter," Law said, ripping up the paper and tossing it back to Lucci. "I refuse to sign something that replaced 'there' with 'their' and 'you're' with 'your'. Inform him that he should go back to school, retake an English writing class, and then get back to me so we can negotiate."

Lucci frowned at him. "You must not care so much for your friends as they thought you did. It's interesting, because one of the things that one of them mentioned to tell you was 'Code Penguin'. I suppose that has some weight on you, doesn't it?"

Sanji watched as the expression froze on Law's face. Whatever the words meant, they were pretty significant. He began to worry. He looked at Lucci with a frown. "So it makes you feel better to threaten the lives of two 'rats'? Feeling a little power hungry, you fucking house cat? And again, I ask, what gives you the fucking right to try and lay down any sort of power with us? You're mad at the Strawhats, hey, fine, go ahead. But to take your frustrations out on two – "

"We're now taking control of the situation," Lucci interrupted him. "The Strawhats are being eliminated from their role. It's now ours."

"Like that will go well with anybody!"

"It's not your decision to make, anyway," Law said to Sanji. "It's Luffy's."

"But he's not here to say anything!"

"Then why are you speaking for him?"

Sanji reddened, infuriated for Law talking to him in this manner. He sat down hard in his chair, regretted it with a wince, then kicked the table, the three of them jostled by the action.

"Temper, temper," Lucci commented. "Like a child, not getting his way."

"You're the shitty asshole with the same sort of expression!" Standing up once more, Sanji demanded, " _Where is Chopper_?"

"We haven't come to an agreement, yet. And he's safe, I assure you. And you are one jittery person, you can't sit still for a few moments while we speak?"

"There's a reason _why_ he can't sit," Law mumbled, carving his name into the table with the pen. Sanji had to resist throwing his water at him while Lucci looked at him with undisguised disdain.

"This isn't anything that should only be decided with me," Sanji then said, leaning over the table, palms down. "If you want something as agreement, then you need to talk to all of us. More importantly, Luffy."

"I refuse to talk to that child," Lucci said, finishing off his mimosa. "I'd rather talk to you."

"I have nothing more to say, other than talk to him. And give me Chopper and my friends!"

"Not until he has agreed to a formal agreement regarding his group."

"Your threats are unreasonable."

"That sweater is unreasonable."

With a snarl, Sanji ripped it off and threw it at him, Hattori flying around with a startled squawk.

"Look, I'll say something to Luffy and the others. Have them meet us. You tell them the same shit you just told me, and maybe they can come to the agreement, because I can't make any decisions without them. I'm not in charge – Luffy is."

"But you're one with more experience," Lucci said patiently, setting his cardigan aside. "Zeff raised you in this environment, so you know how this world works."

"This is not something I decided on my own."

"Then it's on your hands, the lives of your friends," Lucci said with a slight shrug, pulling his cellphone out from his jacket. Looking at Law, he said, "For your unwillingness to sign the memorandum, this order is on you. It's a shame. They were quite skilled in hand to hand combat – just weak. I hope you can work with the guilt in knowing that you had the power to save them, but you refused to."

Law gave him a thin smile. "I trust them to handle the situation accordingly."

"You – " Lucci paused, seeing the text coming up on his screen. What he saw caused his face to fully darken, his fingers forming claws as Hattori took flight.

Jabra looked interested. " _Wow_. What was that about?"

Concerned, Sanji looked at Law, who looked as if he were repressing a smirk. Lucci's eyes burned, shoulders twitching with an almost uncontrollable movement. He looked at Law with a murderous expression.

"I see Code Penguin was a success. Unfortunately, I have to deal with the fall out, so if you'd hurry up and give us Chopper, we can be on our way," Law said calmly, leaning back in his chair.

"This is inexcusable!" Lucci snarled, rising from his chair, claws digging into the table. "Dirty play!"

"What happened? What's Code Penguin?" Sanji asked Law curiously. He reached over and snagged his cardigan from Lucci's reach and put it back on.

"Now _I'm_ curious," Jabra confessed, looking at Law.

"We'll see in a few minutes," Law said, tipping the chair back. But he looked at Sanji. "You trust me, right?"

"To a certain degree," Sanji muttered.

"Don't threaten my friends," Law told Lucci firmly. "Don't force me to sign anything. I do what I want. If I see something is to my advantage, it's mine to take. It's sneaky and underhanded for you to use the threat of death when it comes to others' valuables. Give Momo back peacefully, and I'll help you manage a meeting with Strawhat. As it is, the demands you're placing on Sanji here are unfair and unreasonable, and any mother would react the way he is once he feels his child is being threatened. So reasoning with him at this point is unsound. For some reason, you're only bullying him."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Sanji snapped at him.

"Ha! Ha! ' _Mother_!" Jabra laughed, causing Sanji to snarl in his direction.

"You smug-faced little shit," Lucci snarled, Jabra looking at him with surprise because he hadn't expected the other man to lose his cool that quickly. He pulled his own phone out and made a phone call to see why Lucci was in the state he was.

"Where is Chopper?" Law asked him, rising from his chair. "And under the code that everyone follows, if you threaten to harm him, it'll be all out retaliation towards your organization for manipulating the rules for your favor. You talk about the Strawhats being unfair and unreasonable? You're blackmailing Sanji here to get what you want by using his family against him."

Lucci's eyes changed. Sanji looked at Law, utterly clueless as to what had happened to cause this man so much fury. Jabra hung up with an ' _Ah'_ , and looked at Law.

"You're a manipulative little shit with a long reach, and while I respect that, it's pretty underhanded of you," Jabra lectured, hands on his hips.

"Don't threaten my friends."

For a few moments, Lucci stood there, claws destroying the surface of the table. Sanji watched him cautiously, Law completely relaxed as he folded his arms behind his head, feet resting on the table. For a few moments, nothing was said. Then Lucci grabbed the table, causing the three of them to scramble out of the way before he tossed it out the window with a roar of displeasure.

"I have never seen him lose his cool so much," Jabra admitted as glass rained out over the lawn below, table flying through the air.

Law was at Sanji's side, and ushering him towards the door. Scared workers looked at them, then at the man that rushed after them, reaching out to stop them from leaving. But Law was ahead of that, teleporting them out of reach, and they were standing in the lobby, away from Lucci's reach. Law gestured at Sanji to get moving, because he was certain Lucci wasn't going to let them get away with their actions.

"This place is going to be a mess in a few minutes," Law told him, on their way back to the room. "So let's go."

"What did you do? We need to find Chopper!"

"He's fine, he's in good hands. I just feel…that whatever happens next, you have to trust me. Please."

Sanji looked at him with doubt, but he felt he didn't have a choice. He was intensely curious as to what happened, but Law looked so calm and satisfied with the matter that he trusted that Chopper was just fine.

"What's 'Code Penguin'?"

"Well, there's three codes. One named after each of them. Shachi is our little hothead idiot, so if something is fubar, it's Code Shachi. Bepo is master of undercover and stealth operations, so if something sneaky and devious has occurred, it's Code Bepo. Penguin is reasonably tactile with escape maneuvering, so Code Penguin – "

"Means they escaped?"

"Yes…by any means necessary."

"Something overly dramatic, isn't it?" Sanji asked, Law barging into their room so they could gather their things. Once that happened, hearing startled shouts coming up the hall, Law teleported them once more. Sanji followed impatiently, looking for his cigarettes. "Why are we running away from that bastard? I don't like doing that. Just stop and stand our ground."

"This is where you trust me, and know that everything that I do, I do it for us. For what it takes to have a successful relationship, where we are happy and content and know that we can trust one another – "

" _What did you do_?" Sanji snapped, walking fast behind him as Law found his car. When he heard the sound of a loud engine coming their way, the screech of 'music' catching his ears, he paused in mid-step. He knew that sound. He'd heard it the other day, at the coffee shop when Kid confronted him.

"You _cheater_ ," he accused with a snarl.

"It's not cheating if _I_ didn't ask for his help, but it's not to say that I'll turn him away when he comes through with something I need," Law pointed out, tossing their things into his car, and retrieving his sword. He swung that over his shoulders, resting his hands over it in a relaxed position. The man looked a cat pleased with his captured meal, and Sanji both liked it and hated it – for a variety of reasons. "Plus, what's Gin going to say when he sees you in this mental state? Besides the fact that you look overly-gay, today?"

"…Huh? _Gin_? What?"

Law leaned over and kissed him hard as Sanji stood there, utterly confused.

"I'm going to go get Cora," Law told him. "Get home safely."

"You're just _leaving_ me?"

"I trust you. Tell Kid 'thanks' for me," Law told him with a smirk, kissing him again and disappearing while Sanji looked where he stood with an outraged expression.

Then he whirled around because Lucci was there, tossing vehicles from his path as he walked towards him, a furious expression to his face. Sanji couldn't believe Law just left him there on his own. He turned to prepare to fight, utterly furious at the other man for causing such a ruckus and then leaving, but as Lucci jumped at him with a snarl, Sanji set himself to fight.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Only from over his head, Zoro leapt in with a happy yell, swords at the ready. Luffy laughed with joy as he shot past him, having fired himself off in a slingshot action, so Sanji was hit by his legs as they snapped after him, causing Sanji to snarl furiously as he picked himself back up. Both Zoro and Luffy attacked Lucci with combinations that he was forced to avoid, shifting away from Sanji. Jabra intended on helping out his teammate, but Gin appeared out of nowhere, hitting him so hard that the man went flying through the parking lot with a yelp.

Gin looked over at Sanji with a grin, and Sanji frowned at him, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "What's this, Sanji? Has becoming a housewife made you soft?"

"No! What the fuck? This wasn't my choice at all!" Sanji snapped at him, insulted by the gesture, and red-faced because of it.

"It's fine by me. I was in the area, anyway," Gin said, taking the few steps necessary to stand just out of Sanji's kicking range. "Can't be having those pretty hands dirtied with pointless men's work."

"Shut up!" Sanji snapped, jumping at him with a kick, infuriated by the insinuation. He huffed as Gin avoided it easily, looking rather spiffy in his black suit with maroon accents, Don Krieg's preferred colors.

"I, of course, demand compensation for being interrupted in my day to day duties," Gin continued on, a tonfa over one shoulder and the other starting to twirl at his side as Jabra righted himself, growling. "Nothing big. Just that you be there waiting for me at the end of the day – "

"Keep dreaming, ass! Goddamn perv! You've no shame or restraint, you think you're hot stuff now that you're all grown up? Fucking asshole!"

"Shut up! I'm hot commods, now!"

"Once again, keep dreaming!"

"You're the worst gay man ever, you don't even know how to accept compliments, and shit, properly!"

"Like I'd want them from you, dickhead!"

"Don't ignore me!" Jabra shouted, charging once more. Sanji turned to face him, but Gin hit him in the mid-section with one of his tonfas, knocking the wind out of him with the unexpected gesture.

"I already laid claim on this one. Just sit there and look pretty," Gin told him smartly, causing Sanji to redden with insulted fury.

Not even moments later, the cars around them began to vibrate and lift, and Bonney was laughing merrily as she rode one upward, a sandwich in hand as Kid screamed with frustration. He had Chopper in his baby carrier on his chest, and Chopper was totally enjoying the scene, looking at everything around him with such awe and delight that Sanji felt relieved despite it all. He stood up from the pavement, rubbing his stomach as he made to walk in that direction to retrieve the reindeer.

"Code Penguin was a total success," Penguin said from beside Sanji, startling him with a thumbs-up near his face.

Shachi collapsed onto the ground at his feet, breathing heavily. Both of them looked exhausted, but they were missing their hats, so they wrapped their scarves over their foreheads and covered up their lower faces, so they really resembled urban ninjas.

"This is fucking bullshit," Sanji snarled at Penguin, Jabra attacking Gin, who fought back fiercely, cackling with joy over meeting a strong opponent. Lucci kicked Zoro aside and began fighting with Luffy, who drove him back with his Gatling Gun. Kid charged in with a roar of outrage at not seeing Law, and Bonney chased after Jabra once he popped into her reach.

"PUPPY! COME HERE! LET ME LOVE YOU!" she screamed with joy, Jabra hastily turning away from her, having to dodge Gin and Zoro at the same time. It was basically a free for all in the parking lot, and Sanji looked over at Kid because he really needed to get to Chopper.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Look, he was going to have us killed, okay? Not cool. I don't want to be killed! Not when I have all these student loans to pay off!" Penguin complained. "Luckily I have everyone's phone numbers and the greatest excuse ever to get them to come to one location. Exposing the bakery to the syndicates will take away some of their power, don't you agree?"

"Yeah," Sanji agreed, albeit reluctantly. He looked back at the scene, just in time to see Kid punch Lucci hard enough to have the hybrid flopping over Luffy, and Jabra attacking Gin, who responded with an angry whack of his _tonfas_. "But this is overkill. Where's Cora and Doffy?"

"Being held in a torture suite near the meeting room, where all the syndicates meet up to discuss their shit. As punishment for their crimes last night. Chained and locked up like animals. So you can imagine that Law wouldn't be happy about his father being treated like that."

"I suppose," Sanji agreed. Then he looked at him again. "You're one sneaky, underhanded piece of shit."

"I learn from the best," Penguin said proudly.

: :

Luffy was breathing hard as he faced off with Lucci. The man was strong, fast, and every punch he threw, Lucci threw one right back. The parking lot was pretty much decimated, and while he wasn't sure what was happening exactly, the point was, he was facing off with an outstanding fighter. Why Lucci was intent on causing trouble with the Strawhats after being beaten the other day was something Luffy hadn't bothered asking just yet. He supposed he should. Just in case.

"Care to tell me why you're doing this?" he asked, Jabra sailing through the air behind them, crashing into a car. From his peripheral vision, Zoro and Gin were fighting each other, swords and _tonfas_ clashing together. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it involved a lot of manly grunts and curses and appreciation of power.

Jabra was up and charging again, so they stopped fighting each other, and the three were exchanging hits on each other. The threesome didn't invite any other openings for another.

"Admittedly, my plans had looked different when I'd thought of them," Lucci said, reaching back to comb his hair from his face. From underneath a sleeve, he produced a hairtie, pulling his hair into a ponytail. Luffy couldn't help but look at him in awe – wondering how he'd look with his hair long and flowy like the other man's. He had an image of himself looking a little manlier, a little thicker, gorgeously devilish with his hair in a ponytail. He figured he should start growing it out.

Then he realized what Lucci just said. He looked over to seeing Kid and Sanji facing off with each other. He didn't know the story behind that, but Chopper didn't look like he was in any danger. Despite the large undereye circles and sluggish tip of his head, the reindeer looked unharmed. And Kid wasn't threatening Chopper in any way; he just looked pissed while glaring down at an embarrassed Sanji, who bowed to him respectfully and neatly before Kid unclipped Chopper from his chest and tossed him over.

Once the reindeer was in Sanji's arms, he slumped with trusting expectation, falling asleep immediately as Sanji held him. Kid must've hit himself, somehow, because his nose started bleeding. Sanji kicked him with a snarl and stomped off, and Bonney laughed as she produced tissues from her bra to give to Kid.

They walked off. Luffy swore that Kid was crying. Sanji's kicks were definitely stronger than they looked, coming from a guy in a pink sweater.

"Whatever they were, they failed hard. If you're still mad about us doing what you want to do, that's too bad," Luffy decided. "If you wanted this job so bad, you should've done it before I decided _I_ wanted to do it."

"You're not doing a very good job at it," Lucci said. It was hard trying to figure the man out when his facial expression remained the same no matter what they were doing – luffy couldn't understand how somebody could be so secretive with their _face_.

"You're not, either! When Penguin called us, he said you'd come up to fight with Sanji, and I know for a fact that Sanji and Law were here on their own, so that meant _you_ decided to pick a fight with them on their private time, which is just rotten because if you had a problem, you need to speak to me about it! Sanji's not in charge! _I am_!"

"I refuse to talk business with you. You fail to understand the concept - !"

"I understand enough! I admit, okay, maybe we don't make the best decisions. And maybe _I_ haven't been responsible enough to make sure grown guys did what they were supposed to do. BUT! I have trust and expectations that people will do the right thing! After all, they are grown men," Luffy added, hands on his hips. "We shouldn't have to hold their hands. If they want, I can remind them each and every night of the things they're supposed to do. I know where they live."

"They know where you live, too!"

"My brothers and I are very capable of defending our place."

"Look, my mind is made up. I have decided to call a meeting with the syndicates, to introduce ourselves formally. We'll let _them_ have a say in the matter," Lucci said, straightening his white tie and looking off to the side.

Luffy reached out, stretching his limb to grab his chin and force the man to look at him. Lucci swiped at his hand, claws narrowly missing Luffy's skin by scant inches.

"Look at me when you're talking to me!" Luffy demanded. "It doesn't matter what they're doing over there! Your opponent is here in front of you!"

"Touch me like that again, and I guarantee you, that rubber skin of yours will be coming back to you in shreds!"

" _Gah_ ," Luffy exclaimed, hugging his arm close to him.

"I'm done, here," Lucci then decided, turning his back to Luffy and walking away. "I will continue this later. Tonight, even."

Luffy frowned after him, watching as Jabra noticed Lucci leaving. He kicked out, catching both Zoro and Gin in the face, and returned to man form as he intended on joining his partner in walking away. Hattori swooped down from his position in the sky and landed on Lucci's shoulder, and the three of them walked towards a black Buick Cadillac lingering near the resort's main driveway.

He wondered with some nervousness what tonight would entail. He walked over to Sanji, pulling his hat atop of his head, then dusted himself off.

"What happened, Sanji?" he asked curiously, seeing that Chopper was sleeping so deeply that his mouth was open, and Shachi was snoring atop of his arms, far too gone to notice Sanji was sitting on him.

"Adventures in babysitting," Penguin answered for Sanji.

Zoro joined them, and while Luffy looked for Gin's whereabouts, he pulled his phone out from his pocket. It was currently vibrating, and he shook his head, bleeding over his chin and shirt.

"This thing has been ringing non-stop with this weird number," he said. "I meant to answer it, but –"

"That's Shachi's phone. How'd you get it?" Penguin asked, snatching it from his hand and seeing that Shachi's mother had called seventeen times within the last hour since Law had gone and hid it the other day. He grimaced, and kicked Shachi in the leg to wake him up.

Luffy listened to Shachi converse sluggishly with his mother in his first language, then reached into his pocket. Upon hearing the jingle of keys, Penguin snatched those out of his hands and tossed them to Shachi as well.

"I just thought Ace and Sabo were mad at me again," Luffy said. "No wonder I couldn't get in to the apartment! Those aren't even my keys!"

"I don't think we would've found those in time, that bastard," Penguin said with a chuckle.

"What's going on here, anyway?" Zoro asked Sanji with accusation. "I know you were taking the night off, but – "

"There's a meeting tonight, that guy said," Luffy interrupted grimly. "He plans on talking to the syndicate heads himself to introduce themselves to them, and get their opinion on their involvement in our spot!"

"That doesn't sound good."

"Figures," Sanji muttered. "That asshole was very vocal about us not doing our job to his expectations. He tried threatening the lives of – "

When they looked over at the pair, they were startled to see that they were gone. Zoro looked around with a surprised reaction, and Luffy was so astounded by their disappearance that he 'aw'ed!' with admiration.

" – them and Chopper," Sanji finished, not impressed by the pair. "Also, he did something to the Donquixote brothers to stop them from whatever stupidity they were doing last night."

"I tried looking for them," Luffy said sheepishly. "I got lost."

"We were relying on you," Zoro told him sternly.

Sanji sighed heavily. He looked down at Chopper with a frown, looking for injuries. He definitely needed a bath.

"What if he's right?" he said, shifting him to one shoulder. "What if we're not cut out for the job?"

"Just because _you're_ all domesticated doesn't mean we are," Zoro told him impatiently.

"I'm not! I'm just saying - !"

"I admit, maybe we aren't doing too well of a job as I'd imagined us doing," Luffy interrupted, hands on his hips, "but I don't want to give up just yet! We just have to do a little better! We'll go to this meeting tonight and see what happens. That's all we can do, right now. But I'm not giving up this position without a fight. This is something I know we can do, and I'll just have to work a little harder to prove it!"

"I'm with you. But it sounds like you need a babysitter," Zoro said to Sanji with a frown. "How old is Chopper, anyway? Can't you just leave him at home? Because I'm assuming Law will be there, too."

"Not if these bastards know where we live."

"Leave him with Ace! Ace and Sabo will be home, tonight, and they won't mind!" Luffy said cheerily.

"If it's okay," Sanji said, opening up the back passenger door of Law's car and setting Chopper on the seat. "How did you guys get here, anyway?"

"I drove, since Luffy lost his keys," Zoro said.

"Then I'll see you at the meeting, tonight."

"You're not thinking of driving this thing, are you?" Zoro asked skeptically.

"Shut up! I'm a great driver! I just have bad passengers!"

"Don't worry, I'm here to drive Sanji home," Bepo said from the front seat, startling the three of them with his sudden appearance.

"BEAR!" Luffy exclaimed, looking at him with awe. "How are you able to do this? Do you have powers, too?"

"The power of positivity, Luffy!"

: :

Later that afternoon, Spandem, Califa, Kaku Blueno, and Jabra watched the security footage taken from last night. On it, they watched as Penguin dialed a number from a downed security guard's cellphone. The plastic ties that Kaku had used to keep him subdued dangled at his wrists, and his hatless head was turned away from the camera hidden in the vent high up on the hallway wall.

"Hey, Kid," the man said, but he was obviously using a low imitation of Law's voice. "Listen. Sorry to bother you. But…I'm in a mess. They took my baby, Kid. They're threatening to kill him. I can't – no. Just…Just come. As fast as you can. I need you. Please. I'll text you the address."

Then hung up, clearing his throat a few times as he texted rapidly. Shachi stumbled over, grumbling as he struggled to get loose from the ties that had his arms behind his back. His head was down, and he'd managed to get the collar of his shirt up and over his nose, covering his lower face, hair hanging over his eyes.

Once Penguin dialed again and held the phone near his face, Shachi said in a mockery of Sanji's voice, complete with similar body actions, "Hey, you shitty piece of shit! What's the point of even teasing you with my presence if you can't even guess when I'm in peril – no, _you_ are! Don't interrupt me! Listen, between you and me – there's this guy. He has me held up at the resort by the lake! Get your ass over here and prove to me what sort of man you are! No, not in _that_ way – forget it! _Perv_! Die!"

Penguin hung up, then dialed again as Shachi struggled to get loose. He spoke normally. "Oi! Zoro! Hey, you know that guy you wanted to fight? Oh, hey, Luffy's there, too? Yeah, that guy that kicked Law's ass from here to Tuesday has Sanji at this resort – yeah, yeah, yeah, he's a total minnow. Look, get there quick. They're fighting again, and Sanji's got one up on you –okay. Cool. Later."

"They are _good_ ," Spandem muttered, pausing the conversation. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. " _Too_ good. I find it impertinent to know where they were trained for this type of skill."

"You were bested by a couple of civilians?" Califa asked Kaku, who frowned at her.

"Look, I followed protocol. I locked them in a secure cell with two guards. Then I left because I _assumed_ Lucci and Jabra would _wait_ for me before heading out to the resort, but they'd skedaddled before I - !"

"We didn't need three guys for two guys!" Jabra complained.

"And you still got your butts kicked!"

"Yeah, that totally didn't happen."

"The fact of the matter is, we've been exposed because of you idiots!" Spandem snapped, shutting the laptop closed. "Now they know your faces! And because of _these_ two, now the syndicates are aware of our location! Because of Kid, we've had to move!"

"Not that I'm complaining," Califa said, sipping delicately at her Long Island Iced Tea.

"Could you not wear your work uniform to our meetings?" Spandem then asked Blueno, who stood silently in his Applebee's shirt and apron, holding a bottle between both hands.

Blueno looked around them. They were the only ones in the back, the table located in plain view of the front door. Happy families and singles in booths were taking advantage of the specials being offered for that night. Lucci was sitting in a booth by himself, near the kitchen. Confused by the question, Blueno shrugged.

"Look, what's done is done," Lucci said, brushing his hair from his face as Hattori fluttered his wings, sitting on the table with a comfortable look to his face. "It may as well be, considering what we'll be doing next."

"You can't issue that sort of thing without a formal agreement, Lucci!" Spandem snapped at him, floral print shirt shimmering underneath the booth lights overhead. "First of all, the syndicates are aware of us as a certain service. To overthrow the Strawhats in a show of power because we don't like what they're doing and in-"

"What's done…is done," Lucci repeated himself firmly.

Spandem opened his laptop with a frown, and pressed a few buttons. Califa tried not to make fun of him, because he was only pushing random buttons in order to regain his cool.

He straightened up, hands on the table. "Look. This organization was based on one thing – culling the herd. In no way did we follow their rules – for one, do you forget what this world stands for? A containment of brutality and crime, not a complete elimination! Zeff fully believed that one could not eliminate crime – but if kept in a box, it could be manageable. Our role was to stay out of it, keep from being drawn into it – we take orders because it's the only way we can operate! The way that we've been trained – "

"Mainly us, and not you," Califa pointed out. "You rule from behind a desk."

"Besides, you wouldn't want to get your pretty shirts dirty, right?" Kaku asked.

"No one can take you seriously as a fighter with that hairdo," Jabra pointed out.

"SHUT UP! Look, the point is – we're not the organization to step in as enforcers. Our rule is much different from Zeff's, definitely better than the Strawhats! We wouldn't allow much of their actions – our point of view is…harsh. There's no room for grey in our vision. It's either black, or white. No in between!"

"Meanwhile, the Strawhats allow thousands of dollars worth of damage to city streets, and those responsible for maintaining them 'forget' to pay their damn bills!" Lucci snapped.

"I'll be sure to mail a remainder to the men you'd mentioned earlier in your report, to pay their fines," Spandem said with a sniff.

"I don't think it matters if they know our faces," Kaku spoke up carefully. "I mean…so it's out there, now. In this period of unrest, if they know who we are, what sort of harm could it do? They just know we are the last thing they see."

"The point of our operations was to remain a secret! We're assassins! We take lives, we don't maintain them, or make sure they're living right! We follow an order and – "

"What were the Vinsmokes like?" Lucci asked curiously.

"Well, father knew more about them than we did," Spandem said, lowering his voice. "But the stories he told – that's what we're based on. Secrecy, power – "

"Were they genetically gifted?"

"It's true, that they bred for power and strength – "

"That's a lot of incest," Jabra whispered to Kaku, who nodded.

"SHUT UP! How rude! They were the ultimate family of badasses!"

"Not bad enough if they were all murdered by one rival faction," Lucci pointed out, finishing off his drink.

"Why are you so interested in the subject, anyway?" Spandem asked him curiously. "You've been hounding Blackleg since – "

"Rob's got a little crush," Califa murmured.

"That's sexual harassment," Lucci told her. Then to Spandem, "I'm just curious. Out of all of those idiots, Blackleg has the ability to lead the group, but he doesn't. He's a complete black sheep compared to the history of his real family. I just feel that his potential was wasted with Zeff."

"Who knows what was going on in Zeff's head with that kid? The matter of the fact is, Strawhat is in charge. And I thought we all agreed, Blackleg's mentally inept after being gone for so long. This has to be one of your sick obsessions talking for you, and I thought we had a talk about this after the last guy Kaku had to clean up," Spandem said with a frown.

"Please don't do that to me again," Kaku said to Lucci with large, anxious eyes.

"There's no honor in being a homewrecker," Blueno told Lucci firmly.

Lucci rolled his eyes as he looked away. He then rose from his seat, Hattori flying up to his shoulder, nestling underneath the fall of his dark hair. "I'm done. I need to get ready for the meeting, later on."

"What _meeting_? We're already having it," Spandem said.

"I called a meeting with all the syndicate heads, Strawhats, and ourselves. I'm sorry. I must've forgotten to include you in our group chat, again," Lucci said, walking off as Spandem looked at his cellphone. The others checked their messages, Jabra following him with a grumble.

"Oh, that's right, your number's not in here," Califa said, locking her phone before walking off, swishing her blond hair over one shoulder.

"What kind of _meeting_ \- ?" Spandem asked, panicked as he closed up his laptop and hurried after them. Kaku gave a suffering sigh, shuffling after him, and Blueno looked at his uniform with self-conscious air, wondering what was wrong with it.

: :

"For you both to lie to me – finding out all this shit later on, it's unforgivable! How could you put him through so much danger?" Sanji asked, pacing in front of the brothers as they sat abreast of each other, looking exhausted. Chopper was placing bandages on their visible wounds, and Doflamingo looked pissed while he looked off to the side, and Corazon smoked with a sad frown.

"And _you_! For knowing what was happening and saying nothing about it!" Sanji added, glaring daggers at Law, who was sitting at the living room bar with a wounded expression.

The mansion was quiet, today, minions lingering around them, ready to jump at an order.

"In the end, it all worked out okay!" Chopper said, carefully taping up road rash on Doflamingo's forehead. "We're all fine _. I'm_ fine."

"That's not the point! That point is, everyone behaved irresponsibly! What if something happened because of your reckless actions -?"

"But nothing did! And I don't appreciate you coming in here and yelling at me in my own home!" Doflamingo growled, rising up from the couch with a bottle of wine in one hand. 'How dare you don't tell me about this in the first place? Where's the trust? I had totally trusted in you to include me in any decisions you might make with Momo -!"

" _CHOPPER_!" the reindeer shouted impatiently.

"—And I find out from Stan that only Cora was asked!"

"STANNNNN!" Corazon bellowed. "Front and center!"

"Stan took the day off today, boss," one of the minions said nervously.

"He better take the day off for the rest of his life for his tattle-tailing - !"

"Tell me, Doffy, what happened last night? In full detail?" Sanji asked, glaring up at him with his hands on his hips.

Doflamingo looked down at him with a frown, vein pulsing under his bandages. Corazon looked at him cautiously, Law's fingers tightening on his sword.

"Well, I took Chopper to the trampoline center. Then, we were on our way to the candy factory. After, I'd planned on visiting the toy store because they have a new assortment of –"

Corazon interjected. "Lies! You went to the trampoline center because Arlong was celebrating a niece's birthday party there, and you engaged in a shootout with them! On your way to the candy factory, you targeted Crocodile's entourage on their way from the opera, and forced them off the freeway. After that, you taunted Drake into fighting us – "

"That was all your fault! Everything would've gone as planned if you and your gang of friends hadn't interfered - !"

"How was this safe for Chopper?"

"I wanted him to see what his great-uncle Doffy does for a living."

"ENOUGH!" Sanji bellowed over the brothers' rising shouts. "The fact of the matter is, both of you put Chopper into danger! It's unforgivable! I will not be asking you guys to babysit for a very long time."

" _Aw_ ," Doflamingo, Corazon, Chopper and Law said at the same time, all of them for different reasons.

"But Sanji…I had so much fun! And despite the situation, nothing happened to me. Not even a scratch! I was scared here and there, but I was always in safe hands," Chopper said, hopping down from the couch. "You can't just decide these things on your own! If they felt I was safe, then I was safe!"

"But you weren't - !"

"I was! You bastard, you're so controlling!"

"How dare you talk back to me - !"

'I hate you! You never let me have any fun!" Chopper cried, turning into deer form and running off for a nearby hallway, minions shifting about with astonished looks.

"He changes _forms_?" Doflamingo asked with sheer amazement.

"I didn't know he could do that!" Corazon exclaimed.

"This is for the best," Sanji said firmly. "Sometimes rules seem harsh at first, but in the long run, they are for the safety and security of his person."

"I sort of remember Zeff saying the very same things to you, and look how well you listened," Law mumbled, but Sanji somehow heard him from across the living room, and was at his side in a flash, looking venomous.

"What was that, you shitty boyfriend? My _partner in crime_? The one solely responsible for my every wrong-doing at this particular moment of time that you've mentioned?"

"That makes him a thousand times cooler! Imagine! _Cora_! Riding into battle on that magnificent steed's back!" Doflamingo thought about it with an amazed expression. He was wearing his pink coat and white suit, looking menacing atop of a reindeer with a blue nose.

" _Uwa_! Or taking a ride through the park!" Corazon added, thinking of himself riding Chopper through a park, black coat fluttering behind him, black suit in place, looking somewhat scary with minions around them.

" _None_ of you will be doing that!" Sanji snapped at them, both brothers facing each other with excited faces. Law imagined seeing them weighing Chopper down with their height and weight, unable to move. "Even in that form, you're both ten feet tall, it won't work!"

"Sanji, can we be honest here?" Doflamingo asked, bending at the knees just slightly to face him, Corazon's arms tight crossed over his chest as he puffed away at his cigarette.

"Yes? What?"

"I think all of us has come to the same agreement – we absolutely cannot take you seriously when you're screaming at us in a pink sweater. On me, it looks cool because _I_ am cool. On you, you're just a vacationing housewife –"

"Enough! Damn it. You're both banned from any more babysitting!" Sanji snapped, stalking off in the direction Chopper had taken.

"Law! _Say_ something!" Corazon pleaded, looking at him. "He's threatening to take our grandchild – "

"Grand _pet_."

" – away from us, and - !"

Law shrugged, looking at his phone. "His mind's made up."

"Who's the man of the relationship, really?" Doflamingo asked impatiently. "Because in a real relationship, it's the men that make the decisions, and women are just there to be filled – "

"ENOUGH!" Corazon snapped at him.

"Look, to be honest, I think it's best that you take advantage of this space, for now," Law said, locking his phone and slipping it into his pocket. "Think about what you did."

"Law! Traitor! But it makes sense you'd have to take your wife's side, being whipped as you are. Hmph. Team Single doesn't have to listen to rules and regulations of another person," Doflamingo said, Corazon looking sad once more.

"Why does he get to be the wife?" Law asked him with a frown.

"Look, we're sorry. We made total asses of ourselves with your child – "

" _Pet_ ," Law corrected Corazon.

" –and so we'll take this time to think about it. But for now, I believe there's a meeting tonight we have to attend? So we'll see you both there," Corazon said, flopping back on the couch.

"What meeting?"

"The bakery wants a few words with all of us," Doflamingo said, fingers balling up. "And I intend on being very vocal with the bastards that thought they could do this to me. _My face_! My sexy eyebrows are uneven because of this wound, here."

" _Right_ ," Law muttered, giving him a disgusted look as he turned and headed for the main door, figuring he'd meet the other two there.

After he left, Doflamingo frowned down at Corazon, Corazon frowning back at him, lighting another cigarette.

"In all actuality, what are people supposed to do when they babysit?" he asked curiously.

"Just keep them from dying, from what I understand."

"And we did just that, right?"

"Not any thanks to you!"

"Tomato, to-mah-to," Doflamingo said airily, slumping down onto the couch next to him.

: :

Back at home, Chopper slammed the door behind him as he hid in his room. Sanji went to the kitchen and began rummaging for something to make to take his mind off things, and Law looked at him with a frown as he tried to determine what sort of mood he was in. Then he looked at the condo they shared – most of it was Sanji's influence. All of his houseplants – from the floor to the ceiling – to his pictures on the wall, the nice decorations, the general spotlessness of the area…it was all Sanji. The thought that he was hesitant on finding a house with him suggested that Sanji wasn't ready to settle down.

And why should he? Being younger, he was still exploring the world, and getting to know himself as a man, so why should he plan on settling down with the first person he'd had a real relationship with?

Law looked at the man again, then walked away, feeling uncertain about their future. Should he even plan anything else when it came to the two of them? Or just take the relationship day by day until Sanji finally decided he wanted to explore other options? It seemed pointless putting all his heart and emotion into a situation where it was only going to be disregarded.

He walked into the room they shared and looked around. Again, all of Sanji's influence. The bed was made, there were too many pillows, an unmanageable throw rug that he kept tripping over, a spotless desk…Law would've never had this set up. He was comfortable with the bare minimum, with a place that didn't look like a home, but a storage unit.

He sat at the desk, staring up at the ceiling. He knew he should be thinking of other things – including this meeting between the bakery and the syndicates – but this was more important.

"Why are you hiding in here?" Sanji asked from the doorway, mixing something in a red bowl, apron already splattered with flour.

"I'm reconsidering my phone contract. For an extra four dollars a month, I can have truly unlimited talk and data available at my fingertips – "

"You're _hiding_. Look, I'm sorry, I should've never said anything – "

"Why? So I'd never know until you made up your mind?"

"I just feel that things haven't been the same for us since I started talking! You always do that, you always retreat – "

"Maybe it's best that I step back to think about things, okay? Rather than coming up with irrational thoughts or decisions of my own, it's best to think about it."

"You overthink things, sometimes. Even when we were kids, you always came to the wrong conclusions! Look, I'm sorry if the shit I said hurt you in anyway, I just thought that you'd be a little more understanding!"

"Sanji, I don't know what to say, right now. All that's running through my head is the years I spent being devoted to you, and knowing that you don't feel the same – "

"That's bullshit! And I appreciate your devotion! I can't ever repay – "

"I'm not expecting any sort of payment for that! it's a fucking gesture, it's - !"

"Don't snap at me!"

"All I'm saying is, it's hard to accept that I'm now waiting for you to walk away because you want more time to yourself, when I had already decided what I want. I don't have any confidence in myself for believing that you'll stay. And why should you? Admittedly, it's all my fault. I had never even considered these factors, and…I regret that."

Sanji stared at him for a few moments, lips tight. Then he walked away from the doorway without saying anything, and Law chewed on the inside of his mouth because he'd put himself out there, revealed his worst insecurities. Then he stood up from the chair and went to the kitchen, where Sanji was quietly forming bread patties, lining them neatly on the cookie sheet. Something bubbled atop of the stove, and another pot rattled slightly as foam pushed at the lid.

"So, in your mind, you've already left me because you're afraid to be hurt," Sanji muttered, almost to himself. "Typical. Classic Law."

"I didn't say that. I just…"

"You did. You moron, you _just_ did."

"I – "

"Leave me alone, please. I need to finish this."

With a hard exhale, Law turned and left him, slamming the bedroom door shut behind him. He felt such turmoil inside of himself, and he hated feeling this way. Hands atop of his head, he glared at the window. Just twenty-four hours ago, he'd been looking forward to a night with Sanji, and now he was looking at the possibilities of them not being together. After all this time of having the other man at his side, how was he supposed to live?

He was the way he was because of Sanji. Was he expected to go back to being who he was before that? What if he didn't want that? But he knew better than anyone else that nobody could change the man's mind but himself. He picked up his sword and phone and teleported away from the condo. Once he was at Penguin's, both men passed out in the living room in various states of exhaustion, he set his sword down on the couch, then laid up against Bepo's side as the bear snored near the kitchen. He tapped out a quick message just to let Sanji know where he was, and then put the phone on silent, screen down. He laid back against Bepo and stared up at the ceiling, listening to everyone snore around him.

: :

The meeting room was filled with bodies. Every member of the syndicates were there, along with their right hands. Minions filled every available space. It was agreed that there was a need for a bigger space. The hostility and frustration in every one of them was building, and it became apparent that if more bodies were added to the room, it'd explode with colliding tensions. Don Krieg stood at his chair at the table and bellowed for attention.

"Look! This room's too goddamn cramped for any of us to breathe in! I'm tired of smelling his sweat! With the addition of other players in this group, I recommend that another place be found where we can at least breathe!"

"What's wrong with my sweat?" Crocodile asked menacingly. "I smell rather expensive and delicious."

"That smell matches my shoes, actually!" Doflamingo commented, wiggling his feet, showing off crocodile skinned loafers.

"You _ass_."

"All you bastards smell!" Bonney commented, cramming a slice of pizza into her mouth.

"What's this about, anyway?" Drake demanded, standing from his chair. "I understand that the bakery would like to explain themselves? Their actions last night, while commendable, were unjust! Why was I billed for the brothers' shitty fight?"

"You didn't have to step in!" Doflamingo shouted at him, Corazon focused on his Vita, hood pulled on tight so his bangs were in his eyes, hiding them. "This was a personal family matter. And you chose to interfere with your stupid face!"

"Your shit was causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to our streets!"

"And why the hell am _I_ being billed for this?" Arlong bellowed, hitting the table with a meaty fist. "My people can fix the damages caused, but _I'm_ being personally targeted!"

"Because you haven't been keeping up with your end of the bargain," Dr Hogback said from a minion's iPad, where he was Skyping from LA. "You've been slacking with your business! People are complaining!"

"Where the hell are the Strawhats to deal with this shit?" Crocodile asked bitterly, lighting up a cigar.

"Aren't they supposed to be here, too?"

"This better be worth my time!"

"I got things to do!"

"Who the fuck kicked me underneath the table?"

"All you fucking assholes, listen up!" Kid bellowed from the doors, standing there in his mink coat, Metallica tank top and ripped skinny jeans. "We got another location to go to."

"Where the hell have you been, Kid?" Bonney shouted back. "Gurl, you better straighten up your friendship pact with me, and don't leave me hanging when you're already in wind of our situation!"

"What's this shit, you were in alliance with the goddamn Happy Virus crew?" Apoo complained, launching himself over Doflamingo's head, catching up to the other man. In his neon blue and black lettermen's jacket with red skinny jeans and pink polo shirt, Apoo was visually much too bright. Kid winced.

"I was set up. I don't want to talk about it," Kid muttered, leading the way from the room, headed for the stairway.

"Your obsession with the Donquixote brat is making some of us _murmur_ ," Apoo threatened. "And you know I can't murmur that secretly. I am eight feet tall, people like us can't keep a secret!"

"I said, I don't want to talk about it!"

"Where the hell are we going?" Crocodile demanded impatiently, cigar clenched between his teeth.

"This way, please," Califa said, emerging from a corridor nearby.

Bonney immediately sized her up with a sneer, taking in the woman's black plunging halter top that showed off _everything_ , high waisted trousers and heeled boots. Her long blond hair was left down, dangling at her waist, and some of the men in the area took her in with visual appreciation.

"Showing off a little too much, eh?" Bonney said, hands on her hips. "Is that the only way you feel you can get their attention? It's too bad women have to lower themselves in this way."

"Says the young woman with 'cunt' written on her sneakers, and braless underneath a white shirt. I can tell you don't need any attention."

Bonney reddened, and she made to attack but Apoo grabbed her arm, Califa walking off with a regal strut that had wolf whistles piercing their ears.

The room was a former ballroom, and was fitted with a grander table than the previous. Chairs were set out for every one of them. There were name cards for each head, and appointed places for their minions to sit. The windows were open, allowing them to look out over the city and the nighttime skyline. A couple of servers stood nearby with carts full of drinks and light snacks.

Crocodile was suspicious. The others approved noisily, looking around themselves with awe and appreciation. He looked around the room, noting the exitways and entrance ways. It was much too clean. The air smelled of cleansers, and the carpet reflected earlier cleaning. His nose wrinkled, but he went and found his place at the table. They were all positioned in the order they were formally recognized as heads.

Califa took an iPad from one of the servers, scanning all the groups as they took to their seats. Swiping the screen a few times, it dinged, and she held it at one hip, satisfied with the set up. She touched the Bluetooth at her ear. "We're ready. They're all accounted for. The only ones missing are the Strawhats, and the Happy Virus crew."

"Don't worry about them," Spandem said, walking up to the doorway with a clearing of his throat. "We've thought ahead. They forget what this crew is made up, of. We've prepared for every scenario."

"Are you prepared for this, Spandem?" she asked.

"I'm ready."

Meanwhile, a floor away, Sanji straightened Luffy's collar, and loosened the tie from around his neck, seeing that it seemed to be cutting off his circulation. Luffy exhaled heavily, a relieved expression on his face. But he looked quite uncomfortable dressed as he was – the nicest cargo shorts he had, faded low-top Converses, a clip-on cummerbund, white polo shirt, and one of Sabo's dinner jackets. His hat dangled from the back of his neck. Sanji wished he'd dressed him, instead of trusting his text: 'I rented a nice suit!'

Everyone else was dressed in their nicest clothes – the women were in fitted dresses with their hair in similar styles. Robin wore a side slit black dress with low heels, while Nami wore a tangerine one shoulder with Grecian sandals, armbands slipped over her biceps. Zoro wore a black button up shirt with slacks, sleeves rolled up his forearms. Ussop had his hair in a low ponytail, with a white t-shirt with a printed on tie, sloppily tucked into skinny jeans, and black and white oxfords on his feet. Sanji wore a dark navy suit with a paisley tie and black vest.

"Are you ready for this, Luffy?" Zoro asked. "Because I bet you, they intend on smearing us in front of everybody in there."

"I can do this. As long as I have you guys to back me up. We need to prove that we're the right ones for the job," Luffy said grimly. "It all depends on what I have to say."

"So, what do you have planned?" Sanji asked curiously.

Luffy shrugged. "I'll just go off whatever Spandem says."

"Wow, real awesome plan," Nami muttered, walking up to Sanji. She looked quite unsettled, nervously placing a hand over her stomach. But she trusted the boys to know what they were doing. "Will Law be here, tonight?"

"He was planning on it."

"Let's get this over with, guys!" Luffy said, fist in palm. "I can smell food coming from the vents. I need to get there before Bonney eats everything up."

As they filed out from the hallway, taking the stairs, both Zoro and Sanji looked back as they realized they weren't alone. Sanji's skin prickled at Lucci's nearness to him.

"Coming up from behind, bro?" Zoro asked, hand on sword.

"Just making sure nobody gets left behind," Lucci assured him. The others looked back upon hearing his voice, and Ussop cried out with shock, jumping onto Luffy's back. Both boys tumbled down the stairway while Robin and Nami looked back with consternation.

"Where did you come from?" Nami asked, hand over her heart. She had been sure that they were all by themselves this entire time.

"I was always here. Everyone has arrived. We're just waiting for you. Blackleg. A moment of your time. _Alone_."

"No way," Zoro started to say when Sanji's back tightened up with anxiety, as well as a strong rush of pride. He didn't like being seen as a man that couldn't take care of himself, and everyone's overprotective gestures were entirely unappreciated. Especially after this morning's actions at the resort.

"He can't do anything, anyway," Sanji told him. "I'll be right there. Watch the other's backs, for me."

Zoro gave him a frown, then looked at Lucci. The man revealed nothing, Hattori preening himself on his shoulder without any indication of listening to them. He saw that Sanji's stubborn expression was in place, and knew he would not get anywhere with him. Then he reluctantly turned and began walking with the others down the stairway, where Luffy and Ussop were lying in a pile.

Sanji felt extremely nervous now that he was alone with the other man. He had no idea where Law was – probably keeping his distance after their exchange earlier today. He didn't want to think about that, right now. He lit up another cigarette, hoping to soothe the jitters in his hands.

"What is it?" he asked impatiently, finally daring to look up at the other man. But Lucci said nothing as he took the rest of the stairs down, the Strawhats filing ahead, in view of Spandem at the door. The sound of everyone's voices from the room was present, a soft rise of sound that made Sanji feel as if he were safe; safe from making any sort of fool of himself, and safe from Lucci, because friends were nearby.

Despite his feelings, he sure did enjoy looking at the other man. Those intense hooded eyes were amazing. The structure of his face was highlighted by his long hair, curls caught on the cut of his black suit jacket. Those slightly frowning full lips made Sanji think terribly horribly _wicked_ things. He blamed his hormones, his supposed _seventeen year old mentally stunted hormones_ , for seeing things like this.

"I wanted to apologize for my actions regarding your…pet."

"He's not a pet, fucker."

"Then clarify it."

"He's still a child, he was abandoned by his mad-man of an adoptive father. I took him in."

Lucci studied him for a few moments, and Sanji looked away because he didn't like the feeling of being examined like that. He wondered where Law was. His lungs felt tight because he still felt he was doing something wrong.

"Admirable. Especially at your age," Lucci finally said. "When you haven't much lived yourself, you chose to take on the role and responsibilities of a parent to a creature that isn't that much younger than you."

"Why does everyone keep mentioning my age like it's a bad thing?"

"At this age, shouldn't you be more eager to explore more of life's options? Partying? Experimenting? Hooking up with hot older men?"

Sanji looked at him quickly, unsure what that comment meant. His eyes narrowed with suspicion, but it wasn't a new thing – the man _did_ try to kiss him. He did feel Sanji up in the alleyway. His traitorous body remembered that moment. It took everything he had to not let it show.

"I am," he said hastily, stumbling over his words. "I hook up with my boyfriend all the time."

"Why settle so quickly when you can have the world at your feet? Especially with your looks."

"Looks have nothing to do with it. It's the person that makes a person."

"Oh? Then why do you blush when you make eye contact with me?"

"I do not!" Sanji snapped, stomping on his foot.

This time, Lucci did frown at him. "Yes. A child who still reacts with physical expression, rather than conducting himself like a capable adult. Tell me. Does Zeff approve of this relationship of yours?"

"Why is it any of your business?"

"What do you get out of it? I've been to your place. it doesn't seem like he gives you much freedom."

"Look, you bastard, stop talking about my relationship – and what the hell were you doing at my place?"

"I was looking for you."

"You - !"

"Again, I ask. At your age, why settle for all these things when you've yet to explore other options? When you were younger, you had a plan, didn't you? I noticed your high school paper on career goals, and you'd intended on going to school out of state. Why did it change?"

"Why are you asking me these things? Don't you realize how fucking creepy this is?"

"I feel slighted. As I'd grown up in this business, I feel a certain comradeship towards another that had the same potential to be on my level. Your original family was infamous for their success."

"All I remember about them is what Zeff tells me."

"Zeff lied to you a lot, didn't he?" Lucci said with a vague smile. Sanji froze, wondering what that meant. He looked at him with a start, unsure of what to make of that statement.

"What are you saying?"

"Oh? Why that face? No wonder _he_ jumps whenever you look even the slightest bit vulnerable. I can only imagine what other sort of expressions you use when you're at your most…defenseless."

"No, what are you saying? About them? And they're dead. That's why I was gone for so long, it's because of them – "

"But didn't he? Lie to you, as you were growing up? You had no idea this world existed until you were of age, and only because of _him_. So on that note, haven't you ever questioned just what Zeff tells you about your family?"

Sanji stared at him for a few moments, then said slowly, "I believe him. I was there, I watched…"

"You watched _what_?" Lucci asked curiously, almost smiling again as Sanji stared up at him with puzzled action.

The memory didn't come to him. Sanji remembered that Zeff had told him that he'd seen the gunmen kill his siblings. But why couldn't he reach the route that would take him to remembering the memory? Just as he had the other night, when Law told him the story of his overdose, he'd need a story that led up to the exact memory that he knew was there.

He touched his head unconsciously, looking away from him. Troubled by the suggestion that Lucci was giving him.

Lucci brought up his phone, swiped a few times, then turned the screen to him. In it, Sanji saw himself battle Zeff, in that horrible moment when he couldn't control himself. Over and over with astonishing ferocity, he kicked the older man with much brutality, and it was obvious he would win the battle if he'd had a few more minutes.

He looked away, sick to the stomach at seeing that. it was cellphone footage, which meant someone had filmed the event. It distressed him to seeing himself put the old man in that position. To know that he could've killed him because Hiluluk trained him to do so. All because Zeff killed Hiluluk's wife and her family, who –

He saw hooded men in black storm the family room where he was with his siblings. Quick bursts of a semi automatic rifle decorated the walls. He was already moving towards the kitchen because he knew it was safe. There were gunshots all around him, shortened screams of terror. Gunmen calling out to each other with a southern French dialect, and he was back in that moment. Bare feet, nervousness at hearing gunmen sight him. He hurried into the kitchen just in time to see Zeff putting something away in a drawer. There were bodies on the kitchen floor, staff members with startled expressions. Gore on the walls. Scared out of his mind, Sanji reached for Zeff, and the man stared down at him with indecisive action, hand still in the drawer. His fingers shook as seconds passed, and Zeff closed the drawer instead, an expression crossing his face that might've been frustration.

He reached for Sanji, and Sanji went to him with relief, and they were out the backdoor. The windows were illuminated with gunfire. As they made their way to safety, Sanji was struck by the thought of that one moment, where, in the middle of a firefight where people were screaming and dying, Zeff took a second to put something in a drawer, to leave his hand there for a few moments. To consider Sanji for those few seconds as dead bodies laid around them.

Lucci's finger on his chin forced him back to the present, unable to think or breathe as that memory became vivid. Seeing Sanji frozen with a distressed look on his face made Lucci's smile that much more pronounced. The tip of his fingernail extended just slightly, that claw digging into Sanji's chin, bringing him back to the present.

"Hmm? Seeing something you weren't supposed to?" he asked low, lifting an eyebrow.

Sanji had nothing to say at that, unable to think of anything that would explain that returning memory. It was the first he'd even remembered it – he'd blocked it out for so long that there wasn't any hope in recovering it. Now that it was back, why did Zeff hesitate when he looked down at him?

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked heavily.

"Because seeing _this_ convinced me that there is more use to you than what you're being used for, now. Your friends' overprotective gestures are holding you back. When you attacked Zeff, whenever there is a situation where you must defend yourself – who's there to interfere? _Him_. Your friends. They've seen you in action, after you'd come back from your little 'vacation'. They know what you're capable of, and they're afraid of it. They're holding you back."

"You've already seen how I fight – "

"That was only a mockery of your potential! You weren't fighting me! you were only toying with me. Unconsciously, or consciously, I suppose that's just your way of teasing a man – "

"Lucci! I'm not standing here looking pretty for everyone else!" Spandem snapped impatiently, gesturing at him.

Hearing that man's voice horrified Sanji back to the present. He'd been so focused on Lucci he'd forgotten about where they were and what was happening. Lucci didn't say anything else after that – he just walked off, and Sanji felt shame color his features because he just knew that their encounter looked suspicious. He looked around himself, wondering where Law was, and walked over to the others, hiding his sweating hands into his pants pockets. Zoro just looked at him without saying anything, and Sanji felt his lips tighten because Zoro would wait until later to tell him what he thought.

"Chief!" Califa said sharply, walking up to Spandem, hands on her hips. Spandem looked at her cautiously, eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting that you'd dressed up merely to capture Rob's attention, and have him focused on you for physical appreciation?"

"Er…no. That's not – "

"That's sexual harassment. If Rob doesn't want to look at you, he doesn't have to."

"I'm not - ! _No_! I mean - ! Like I'd _want_ him looking at me in the first place! I mean, like _that_ , like what you're suggesting – oh, shut up. Let's go! Califa! Lucci! Kaku! Blueno! Jabra!"

"Do we have to look at you any other way than professional?" Jabra asked, leering at Robin and Nami as he passed them.

"I don't really think of you as 'pretty', chief," Kaku complained. "You've got this twitch to your eye that gets intense when you get excited."

"WHAT?"

"This is a huge sexual harassment suit just waiting to explode, chief," Califa said sternly. "you're making these men uncomfortable with your comments."

"Is my outfit acceptable, tonight?" Blueno asked, gesturing at his suit. Spandem looked him over, then nodded in approval.

"Sure, you like nice and professional."

Califa pushed at her glasses. "That's sexual harassment."

"He asked me to look at him! Let's go, goddamn it," Spandem snarled, leading the way into the room.

Luffy looked at his friends. "This is it, guys! Let's give 'em hell!"

: :

"Greetings, all of you," Spandem said, walking up to the table, looking at all the curious faces that looked back at him – save for Corazon, who looked at his Vita with a frown, fingers moving rapidly to some prompt on the screen. He scowled at this, but he would let it slide, considering that Doflamingo was the main subject between the two of them. Everyone was so accustomed to Corazon's lack of respect that they didn't even bother quieting him or looking in his direction, the tall man sitting slumped in his chair with the game pressed against the edge of the table.

Everyone was seated properly in their chairs, all of them accounted for. Even their minions were well behaved, a little subdued as they sat in their assigned rows, looking with discomfort at their employers' backs. The Strawhats were seated in a row of their own to the right side of the bakers, a motley crew of tense expressions.

The servers began setting out drinks and snacks, silently weaving around the heads seated at the table as Spandem spoke again. "I'm head baker for the wonderful bakery that all of you have had a chance to utilize in all your terms of service. This is my crew. We are gathered here tonight to discuss a very serious topic. The Strawhats inability to enforce rules and abide by policy by enforcing order upon your heads."

Crocodile leaned upon the table, squinting at the woman and men standing silently behind Spandem. Then he made a face. "These are the bakers? Rather young, aren't you?"

"I believe their efficiency and their work speaks for them," Spandem said. "You had no complaints, Crocodile."

"I guess I don't, I don't know what I was expecting. Well, whatever. So you think you can do better, eh?"

"Oh, I know we can do better," Spandem said, gesturing at Califa. She pointed at the projector unit on the ceiling, and the lights dimmed so that all of them could see a powerpoint presentation of the Strawhats' failures – and to shame some of the syndicate heads, who were named in past due fees.

"Great, and we didn't even bring our evidence to disprove _their_ evidence," Ussop whispered to Luffy, who started to sweat.

"Look at those graphics 'Sop! Those little gifs at the bottom! How is that possible?"

"Oh my god, keep it down, they're really going to lose confidence in us!" Nami growled.

"Here, stage one," Spandem said, gesturing at the photos. "Strawhat Luffy proclaims that he will take on the responsibilities of enforcer – all the abilities that Zeff left behind in his retirement, and what has he done, really?"

"He's harassed us to no end!" Arlong growled.

"He's popped up in my home and ate all my goddamn cookies!" Kid complained.

"He challenges me to a fight each and every time we cross paths," Crocodile snapped. "It gets infuriating!"

"He eats all the goddamn food!" Bonney shouted, one of the servers' carts currently between her legs as she cleared out the shelves single-handedly.

Luffy made a face, looking at them all with his arms crossed over his chest. "How do you people live with yourselves? All of you are grown adults, and you all still skip out on your duties. And I don't always do all that!"

"While it's understandable that all of us can't get along with one person or another," Spandem went on, gesturing for a change, "there is a certain understanding that all of us have when we're in the middle of a…costly disagreement."

"You know, I totally didn't picture what I'm seeing whenever I spoke to you," Dr Hogback said, narrowing his eyes from the iPad screen.

Spandem looked at him with a frown. "What? Well…admittedly, our faces are – were hidden for a reason. It was important to maintain all levels of secrecy."

"I expected someone a lot shorter. Fatter. Probably with a mustache. Not someone from Hot Topic with a bad Sears account."

"I - !"

"And what happened to your face? I can fix it, you know."

"It was a car accident - !"

"And why would a man even walk out the house with that shirt?" Apoo asked in disgust. "Floral doesn't look good on a man your age – it's acceptable on a granny's nightgown on her deathbed."

"Perv, looking at grannies," Gin said from across the table, leering at him.

"Shut up! I didn't mean it that way!"

"Get to the point!" Don Kreig bellowed, slamming a fist down on the table to keep Gin from speaking again. Gin looked at Apoo with promise, hands curling into fists and a demonic tinge to his features. Apoo looked away quickly, nervously.

"Look, enough with the comments," Spandem snapped. "First off, if you have anything related to the subject, then wait until you're called about. As of now, you're all behaving and speaking out of order like school age children. No wonder Strawhat thought he could police you – he speaks your language!"

"Ha ha! Fluidly!" Luffy laughed.

At all the glowering faces looking his way, Spandem gulped. To feel safe, he took a big step back so that Kaku and Lucci were at his back, and they both looked away with exasperation.

"Anyway, moving on. We all rely on the Strawhats to enforce policy. To stop and manage fights. To play peacekeeper. Make fair and just decisions when it comes to a street turf battle. But since they came into the scene, out of 240 events on the streets between all syndicate groups, only 90 were met with favorable results. How is this acceptable to all of you?"

"It isn't!"

"They can't make good decisions!"

"We only get harassed!"

"Oh, pish posh," Luffy said, waving their complaints away. "Who even keeps track of that sort of thing?"

"This doesn't look good, they're making good arguments," Nami said to Sanji and Zoro.

"We'll just wait and see what else they have," Zoro said. "It can't be all that bad."

"It appears there's more than a few of you that feel this way about Strawhat's abilities," Spandem noted. "But how is he in maintaining your responsibilities?"

All of them looked at each other, or avoided looking at each other. Luffy rose from his chair with a satisfied laugh. "That's right, you bastards! If there was one thing we were good at, it was making sure you paid your damn bills! Like the adults that you are!'

"Here are the financial reports that Califa drew up, on this spiffy Excel spreadsheet," Spandem said, gesturing at a new screen. At the sight of the numbers and graphs, most of the heads were suddenly occupied by something else. "All of you escaped responsibility. And despite Strawhat's impressive efforts, all of you found a reason to avoid these numbers entirely. The main concern is that of the younger set. None of you have contributed to any parts of the city that could have worked in your favor."

"Why should we?" Bonney asked, leaning back in her chair, propping her feet up on the table. "Why is that our responsibility? I don't see any reason to support the city when the city don't even support me."

"We noticed this," Califa said, walking her way, swiping a few times on her iPad. "We issued a test a few months back. Two trashbags, filled with exactly four hundred thousand dollars each."

"Dirty money!" Bonney snarled, glaring at her. "So that was you who set us up?"

"I should've known it was too good to be true!" Apoo complained.

Sanji vaguely remembered that time he and Law had encountered the money on their way to the meeting room, and Law refused to have any part of it. When Bonney was harassing Sanji, Law exchanged her with one of the bags, and she'd found the other. Apoo had snagged the first bag.

"We trusted that somebody would be fool enough to take it. And what to do with it, considering the amount of debt piling up with your responsibilities? Perhaps you needed a little help paying your bills with the city," Califa said, touching her iPad before reaching out and pulling her feet off the table, shoving her chair into the table. At that moment, Bonney turned pale, and she slumped over the surface with a slight gurgle, too tired to hold herself up. "But instead, both of you spent that money on foolish purchases. Clothes, boys, girls, Taco Bell, those little chocolate balls with the cherry in the center…"

"I knew that wasn't my money," Crocodile commented, tapping ash to the side as he looked at Bonney curiously. "What's wrong with her?"

"Long day, I suppose," Califa muttered, gesturing at the wall. "Look here. These are all your responsibilities. Arlong, the construction business you run has almost crashed with the amount of work you haven't done. Drake, the public utilities district hasn't had any sort of management in months – the city's trash has been incorrectly billing customers for weeks, and people are angry. Crocodile, the medical board wants to know why you haven't been attending or contributing as you were supposed to. There have been one hundred more senseless deaths in area hospitals than there was when you were contributing regularly. Krieg, please address the school overcrowding issues. Children are our future. Hogback, your contributions are greatly needed in the city transportation departments."

"And here," she added, Kaku depositing file folders in front of Kid, Bonney and Apoo, the two men looking at Bonney with frowns, "are _your_ responsibilities to take care of."

"From now on, this nonsense of partying and non-stop shenanigans will not be tolerated," Spandem addressed the trio sternly. "So far, while you made a considerable dent for us to recognize the lot of you as fair market value, considering how the younger generation seems impressed with the material you provide, I'm afraid your probation status is now in effect. You want to continue living this life, in this role you fought so hard to obtain, you'll need to prove it."

"Who the hell made you the boss of us?" Kid asked, tossing the file aside without looking at it.

"What he said, but in a more mature manner," Crocodile parroted, dashing ashes into a nearby teacup, Arlong frowning at him. "Who the hell are you guys? You going to take over, or something?"

"As our organization is as old as the lot of you, no disrespect, we've seen our fair share of change. This has, by far, topped them all. Strawhat has done nothing too remarkable to allow him to keep this role. From this point on, we will take over as enforcer."

Everyone began talking at once.

"We didn't agree to this!" Luffy shouted.

"We don't even know who you are! You can't just barge in and take over a role that's already been filled!" Hogback hollered, his minion holding his iPad up high to be heard.

"So you want the Strawhats to continue doing what they were doing? Absolutely nothing?

"Maybe we aren't doing the right thing all the time, but we're definitely there to do what we can. Frankly, I find it unfair that you guys are blasting us for our age when we've given you every opportunity to redeem yourselves by doing the right thing!" Luffy said stubbornly. "All of you admit to snaking out from your duties! Just do the right thing, and there shouldn't be a problem!"

"No, no, let's hear your proposal," Don Krieg interrupted, gesturing at Spandem. "I want to hear what he has to say."

"Good choice. It's already been decided, but let us share our thoughts on the matter. For years, our role has always been to take orders, determine it with the enforcer to keep the balance of this wheel, and then execute the appointed directive. We feel, as an organization, that we are the better man for this role. We follow orders to the 't' – there is no grey area. Therefore, once we take position over enforcing the group of you, I can guarantee that cooperation will be completely enforced. Our services will still be rendered. Rules will be followed."

"Or what?" Arlong asked with a sneer. "Do you honestly think that the bunch of you can keep the rest of these idiots in line, and still provide your original services on the side?"

"Oh, absolutely," Spandem promised. "We are a well oiled machine. We don't break down. We render our services professionally and quickly, without leaving room for error."

"I refuse to give up our position!" Luffy shouted indignantly. "After all, I think it's important that grey areas are noticed!"

"You let too much of it slide!" Drake snapped at him. "You moron!"

"Explain how you gave some of my territory to him!"

"Why'd he get the better service the other day?"

"Why was he allowed to get away with non payment, an I was fined up the ass for mine?"

"Now, hold on - !" Nami shouted, Luffy shouting back answers that went unheard as everyone began yelling at the group.

Sanji looked over at Spandem and the others. They looked quite satisfied with themselves, with the syndicates' seemingly quick agreement to the hostile takeover. He looked at Lucci, and while the man was still expressionless, he had a slight tilt in one corner of his mouth.

He rose up from his chair, reaching out to touch Luffy's shoulder. He leaned in front of him to capture Luffy's full attention and block out his own visual response to the group that continued yelling at them. Luffy looked at him with red-faced anger, nostrils flaring slightly.

"Let them take the position," Sanji said low, Robin rising up from her chair to stand close by, Zoro shifting over with his arms crossed over his chest. Nami realized something was happening, turning to look at them with worry as Ussop hid behind her, slingshot out just in case any of them wanted to attack. "Let them have it."

"But I don't want to! This is _our_ job! I said we can do better, and we can do it! We can do it a lot better than they can!"

"I know. But these guys have to see for it themselves before they realize what they've lost," Sanji continued to talk low, voices dying down once they realized the Strawhats were in conference with each other. "Trust me, Luffy. These Type A's don't last long with their dictatorships. Once these bastards realize how tight of a hold they have on the lot of them, they're going to wish you were back in position. You have to give it time."

"But - !"

"Do you trust me?"

Luffy frowned at him. His face reddened even further, and he glared over Sanji's shoulder at the syndicate heads that were looking at them warily. Then Luffy looked at Sanji with a mopey frown.

"We pick up the pieces?" he asked, in a low whisper.

"Yeah. We step back, let them have it, then wait. Haven't we already kicked their asses before?"

" _Yeah_! Oh, yeah! We have!"

"If that's what you guys want to do, I'm game," Zoro said.

"The jive sounds right," Robin agreed.

"Gives me time to follow my goals," Nami said reluctantly, crossing her arms over her abundant chest.

"Thank god! No more late night phone calls!" Ussop said with relief.

Luffy then stepped around Sanji, fists balled at his sides. He faced Spandem. With much visible effort, he squeezed out, "Fine. Have it. You want it so bad, enjoy yourself."

"That's _it_?" Spandem asked with some confusion. "We were expecting bigger things from you, Strawhat."

"I've made my decision," Luffy said, rather reluctantly, sides of his mouth pulled with a stubborn frown as he crossed his arms tightly.

"What'd you say to him?" Crocodile asked Sanji suspiciously.

Sanji shrugged, lighting up another cigarette. "Doesn't matter to you. But don't be shy – give us a ring when things feel a little suffocating for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We're pretty much done here, right?" Zoro asked. "I'm starving."

"But - ! But I want to hear the rest of this circus!" Nami exclaimed, frowning at them.

"It's nothing exciting, really," Spandem assured her. "We'll be talking very boring things. And, besides, it won't matter to you. As of today, the Strawhats aren't part of our inner circle. You will be escorted out safely as a thank you for your services."

Corazon reached out and snagged Sanji's arm, setting aside his Vita to do so. Sanji looked at him with surprise, especially when the man pulled him in close and whispered something that even Doflamingo couldn't hear. Sanji nodded and rejoined the others as Corazon picked up his Vita and continued playing, Doflamingo looking at him with insult in that he wasn't included.

Once the Strawhats were gone, Spandem looked at the other faces, all of them expectant. With a flat smile, he said, "Now. Shall we start discussing the new policies? Califa and Kaku will be passing out our expectations required of your full cooperation. I urge you to listen with both ears, and take notes."

"You won't be needing this," Califa said, snatching Corazon's Vita from his hands and smashing it within her grasp, much to his horror. Doflamingo rose automatically to smack her when Kaku pushed his chair in suddenly, saying tightly, "Please sit, sir! Violence is not welcomed, here."

Doflamingo slouched down heavily, exhaustion pulling at his features. Corazon looked at him with puzzlement, then at Califa's smug expression as Kaku continued on.

"That's a good boy. Listen up, and listen up well," she said, noticing Kid staring at Doflamingo with utter bewilderment. He pushed away from the table cautiously, black colored lips pulling into a frown. "All the information that we're passing out tonight can be retrieved from the pdf that I will be sending you after the meeting. If you have any questions, please, don't hesitate to call us. We'd be happy to come out to your establishment to answer your concerns."

"I feel like we're being wedged into a trap of some kind," Gin muttered to Krieg, looking at Kaku suspiciously as the long-nosed man passed them a file folder. "The Strawhats abandoned their effort much too quickly."

"You're just feeling someway because your prince left you for someone else," Krieg told him with a scornful expression. "Pay attention."

"No, really, listen, Krieg – it's too easy. And what's with these guys falling asleep at the table, when they're the loudest ones? They set something up, they must've, because – "

"Calm your suspicions, boy. The silence makes it easier for us to hear what the gentleman has to offer," Krieg said gruffly, sneering in Doflamingo's direction. "Stupid bastard."

"Hey, can I get a refill, here?" Drake asked crankily, twisting in his chair to look for one of the servers manning the carts. Once he realized they weren't in sight, Lucci gave an impatient growl, realizing too late what he'd already missed.

" _Damn_ ," he muttered.

"So they _were_ here," Blueno said with wonder. "I was expecting them to be present formally, much like the Strawhats."

"They know they tread on thin ice, considering their lack of immunity," Spandem muttered, a little upset. Nobody had given the servers any attention once they were occupied with his speech and the Strawhats' spiel. "Califa, please, make it your mission to capture at least a still of their faces – we must identify them as soon as possible in order to keep that crew contained."

"Right away, sir."

"I didn't see the main one anywhere - !"

Lucci pointed at an empty chair in Kid's minion section.

"Every seat was occupied here before you started speaking, sir," Califa said with a frown. Her cheeks colored with frustration. "Damn it!"

"They're good… _too_ good," Spandem muttered. "I wonder if they were underlings of Ra's al Ghul?"

"… _Who_?"

"Never mind! Damn! We just have to be more observant, the next time. Unfortunately, I doubt they'd use the same trick twice. Oh well. No matter. They're on our shit list. Er…if we can catch them."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: After much editing drama, I have this!  
**

 **MinnyFox: Thanks for joining! Thank you for reviewing 'White Rabbit' - it's always a joy to hear that people have read stuff and liked it enough to look for others! :D I'm glad I've turned you into the LawSan side - it's pretty addicting, and definitely rare D: This fic I took down because I had horrid issues where i couldn't post longer chapters, and i felt it interrupted everything - so i fixed it, but it didn't do much, ruined all my reviews, and i threw it away in a fit of rage. But now i'm uplooading it again, and i haven't any idea when I'll update it after that - but, yes, the dudes are having personal issues that ends...curiously weird. HAH I'm glad you enjoy the humor! I like to amuse myself, so writing humor is great for me. I'm a bit of a loon. Anyway, enjoy the rest of the story, and thanks for leaving your comment! I'm glad you're on this ship!  
**

 **Chapter Nine**

"So, what was that about between you and that guy?" Zoro asked Sanji as all of them sat at Denny's, taking up the back family booth. The waitress had just come by, and Luffy was making noise, while Nami and Robin spoke between each other over salads. Ussop was sitting at the very edge of the seat, arguing with Luffy over elbow room. "It was a little weird, back there."

Sanji shrugged. There was no way he was going to talk about it. Not that anybody at the table were paying attention to their conversation – especially with Luffy carrying on as he was over his food, over the meeting. "Just personal stuff. Threats. Manly exchanges of bodily harm."

Zoro gave him a suspicious look. "It looked a lot different than that, _Dory_."

"Dory...?"

Before Zoro could press any further, Penguin leaned over the table over them, chin on palm, favorite hat pulled low so that all they could see was his nose and mouth. He was dressed in the server's uniform, which made Ussop, and Nami gasp with startled action, because they hadn't even paid any attention to him. Before Sanji or Zoro could react, Law laid over Sanji's lap from the edge of the bench, long legs stretched out over the aisle, causing Shachi to trip over them on his way to join Penguin. His heavy metal shirt, tight black jeans, jumble of bracelets and cuffs made Sanji frown. He had definitely not noticed him in the midst of Kid's group of minions, and it made him feel uncomfortable.

But at that moment, Sanji just looked at him, uncertain of what this was about – didn't they just have a fight? Weren't things shaky between them? Maybe this was Law's way of peacemaking.

He indicated for Sanji to feed him, so Sanji grabbed Zoro's bread roll and attempted to stuff it into his mouth.

"Hi, Robin. Long time no see! I'm pretty positive you missed me," Penguin said with a wide grin.

Robin chuckled, picking at her salad. "Ah. We've gotten so bold since the last time we'd seen each other, haven't we?"

"My heart can't wait any longer. I have to take the chance now. I love you. Let's have kids."

"But I'm six foot two, and you are not – it won't work."

"Shot down in flames!" Nami laughed. Penguin straightened away from the table with a frown, Shachi taking his place by kicking him aside. He had his polarized sunglasses in place and a beanie covering most of his red hair, his server's jacket tied around his waist.

"Robin! I'm this close to my master's! I can woo you with my intelligence and witty discussions about the human psyche! What I lack in height, I make up for in suspenseful conversation!"

"I'm afraid that doesn't interest me. Perhaps if it included bloody brains leaking from a broken head, I'd have some vague interest in the sharing of your wit."

Shachi pulled back, looking a little disturbed. He didn't have an answer for that, so he stole Ussop's chicken from his plate, and ate it sullenly as he walked to the booth behind them. Penguin chuckled as he followed after him, Ussop shouting after them with dismay.

"I've never seen you with these clothes," Sanji said underneath their conversations, narrowing his eyes as he looked Law over. He then reached over him to pull his shirt hem down, tucking it into them into the waist band of his pants as he felt Law was showing off too much skin. Then untucked and stretched when Sanji realized that those damn jeans were showing off too much bulge, leaving Law to look up at him with amusement. "Are they Penguin's?"

"He and Shachi agreed to let me borrow a few."

"…If Kid saw you, he'd die of blood loss."

"He looked at me twice, I admit."

" _Just_ twice?"

"The second might've been an accident."

"Did you make eye contact?"

"No."

Sanji narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but since Kid didn't make such a fuss about it, he felt a little better about Law running around in such tight fitting clothing. "Next time, wear a jacket so you don't catch cold."

"What did you think of the meeting, Law?" Nami asked curiously as the man sat up, throwing the bread roll over his head, where Bepo poked his upper torso up and over the back of the booth and snagged it out of mid-air. He slowly sank out of sight, much to Luffy's delight as he climbed over the table to greet him. There was some grumbling and complaining as he did so.

"For you to pull out as you did was the best choice you could make," Law decided, picking at Sanji's grilled chicken and vegetables. Under the table, Sanji reached over and rested his hand atop of his thigh. When he felt the answering press of the man's leg against his, he felt better. "At the same time, it opens up an entire realm of possibilities that could be negative in the future."

Sanji closed his lips tight as the man attempted to feed him, not having the appetite for the poorly steamed meal.

"For instance, if they decide to eliminate all of you from the picture, excluding those on the no delivery list, how will you handle it?" Law asked, looking away from the task and blindly pushing the broccoli across Sanji's cheek, causing Sanji to sputter, slap the offending vegetable away.

"With extreme prejudice, of course!" Nami declared. "These guys, _all_ of us can handle ourselves pretty well in a fight! Just like we did the last time."

"They can form an alliance with the syndicate heads as a way of establishing bridges between each other to do away with nuisances," Law said.

"Anyway, if it happens, if it comes down to it, then we'll fight them all. Right, Luffy?"

" _Yeah_ ," Luffy answered, dangling from the back of the booth between Sanji and Zoro. He reached for Zoro's food, the man trying to stab him with his fork. "Either way, all I want is some action. I trust that Sanji knows what he's talking about when he told me to back down."

"I do. All those shitty old men were impressed by fact that they're assassins, so they have that pizzazz factor. What they don't see is that a few weeks down the line, if any of them steps out of the line that they've drawn to keep them contained, you can bet that they'll start feeling suffocated. The bakers will tighten their strings, and it'll explode in their fingers. All we have to do is wait for our moment to step in," Sanji said with confidence, feeling Law's hand atop of his under the table, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"I don't want it to take weeks," Luffy complained.

"Now's the time to sit back and reflect on the things that we've should've done better, Luffy."

"I can reflect on that _now_!"

The waitress came by, and noticed the extra people. But her eyes widened and her smile brightened as she focused mainly on Law, ignoring Luffy's request for some appetizers. She grinned as she fiddled with her ponytail, and Sanji found himself leaning over Law with, "He wants water, 25% ice, with a napkin. He'll be eating off my plate. No utensils, he's fine with using mine."

Nami snorted, Robin chuckling as the waitress looked flustered before nodding and walking off. Law looked at Sanji with amusement. "It's like I don't have to do anything for myself in public."

"It's just easier if I do the ordering," Sanji said lightly. "You hate talking to other people."

"Oh, Sanji, you're so shameless," Nami commented, Robin agreeing with an amused smile. Zoro rolled his eyes while Luffy looked after the waitress with consternation, needing more food.

"What did Cora say to you?" Law asked Sanji curiously.

"It's a secret," he said with a grim frown. "I can't say until it happens."

"Cora's pretty observant. He noticed that the table was equipped with the particular stone makes us weak. Enough to make everyone compliant, but not noticeably affected. When Bonney was handled, I noticed that there were small parts of the table décor that were manipulated by that woman's iPad. Certain parts were extended to touch her, rendering her compliant. Same thing with Doffy."

"That's why they kept their distance from the table," Sanji said aloud, remembering the distance Califa and Kaku had given as they passed their files out.

Penguin and Shachi hurried up to the table, looking panicked. "They're here."

Law rose up from the bench. He looked down at Sanji, made to say something, but changed his mind. They were gone in a flash, leaving behind an elderly woman, a couple of policemen and a startled dog with a leash. All of them looked at the group in the booth with bewildered action, the woman blinking at Sanji for a few moments. When she seemed to recognize him, she reached over and patted the top of his head, then his cheek with a, "Aw, so _handsome_! All grown up!"

Sanji looked after her with a bewildered look, wondering if he knew her as she walked off, the dog following after her timidly. The two policemen were unsure of what to think as they looked around themselves. They made awkward eye contact with Robin, then shuffled off. The waitress came back, and looked disappointed that Law was gone. She pushed the cup of water and a perfect slice of strawberry cheesecake onto the table, to which Sanji gave to Luffy, instead.

At that moment, Spandem, Califa and Kaku walked in, spotting them immediately. The older man led the pair to them, frowning. Zoro noticed he was wearing a large white sword over his back, so he put his cup down quickly, hands on his own.

Frowning down at them, Spandem said nothing while Califa and Kaku stood casually off to the side. Their expensive clothes, upright shoulders and cool expressions had them on a level far above just eating at Denny's. They looked lost from the nearby money district of the city.

"We didn't have a chance to talk," Spandem said, looking at Luffy as he crawled over the back of the booth and sat between Sanji and Zoro, squeezing in between them. "I applaud you for pulling out as quickly as you did. Quite honestly, I expected more of a fight."

"We're going to wait on it," Luffy said, folding his hands behind his head, Zoro and Sanji shifting in their seat to avoid being hit by those spindly elbows of his. "See what happens."

"A majority of them were in agreements with the rules. Admittedly, they were adjusted to fit our standards. We will not tolerate very much."

"That's what we're counting on," Sanji said, slumping a little so he could place his hands into his pants pockets. He then smiled politely as Spandem frowned at him.

"This circus wasn't what I expected after Zeff left. Fortunately, we'll pick up the pieces all of you have dropped. All that's needed here is a strong hand and minds of steel."

"So you want us to stay out of your business? Fine," Luffy said. "I could care less what you do."

"Luffy…" Nami murmured nervously.

Clearing his throat, Spandem adjusted his collar, then glared at them. With a wave of his finger, the three of them turned and walked away, asking for a table away from the Strawhats. Seeing that they intended on dining there caused Robin to snort ungracefully.

Later that night, Sanji put Chopper to bed. The reindeer looked up at him with a frown. Ace had put a row of ponytails between his ears, and Sanji used a pair of scissors to cut through the rubberbands, careful not to cut his fur.

"I heard you two fighting earlier," Chopper said quietly.

"It wasn't fighting. You'd know when we're fighting."

"I thought you both had a good time? I noticed you weren't the same when you stood together."

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Sometimes people disagree with each other on certain things. There. Last one."

"But _I_ worry about it," Chopper muttered. "Quite honestly, I'm used to you being with each other. And it'd be weird if you weren't the way you are when you're together. You're happiest when he's happy. And vice versa. So…it makes _me_ happy because despite the bad things that happened, I can count on you two being happy."

With a face that the reindeer couldn't see, Sanji rubbed the hard spot between his antlers. "Don't read into things so negatively. Sometimes, words are said where…it's all a misunderstanding. That big baby can't handle the thought of a little discomfort, and I…I get mad too easily, and jump to my own conclusions. Once we hash it out, things will be fine."

Chopper exhaled heavily, reaching out to hold onto his own hooves. "But…what if you don't? Will we have to move away? Who will take care of us, if Law doesn't want to take care of us, anymore?"

"I don't know why you're thinking that way, but I will _always_ take care of us."

"But when people leave, they don't come back."

"I did. Now, stop thinking the worst of things. Like that asshole said a long time ago, we're always going to fight, because he's a stubborn asshole and I'm a stubborn…brat," Sanji admitted reluctantly. He stroked the soft fur he'd just liberated from painful ponytails, admiring how shiny and clean he was. "But if worst comes to worst, I'll never leave you, or throw you away. I'll always take care of you."

Chopper looked at him with worry. "People said that you're too young, and you took on a kid when you haven't even experienced much of life yourself. I heard Sabo say that to Ace. I feel that people are judging you because I came along, and I…feel guilty for interrupting -"

"First off, fuck him for saying that. I don't regret making you come home with me that night. I mean it. Second, don't ever doubt for a moment that I'd just _stop_ taking care of you because I haven't done this or that. Pisses me off that people would even judge me for that. It's none of their fucking business what I do, or what I decide for myself. If worst comes to worse, it'll always be me and you. Okay? So don't feel that you'll be abandoned again."

"It's hard not to feel this way when Kureha and Hiluluk – "

"Well, they were old and rotten, and I'm not. I'm springy and healthy and fully capable of making my own goddamn decisions. Now, go to bed. It's past your bedtime. What playlist do you want to listen to, tonight?"

"Um…Tupac."

"Fine. But if you repeat anything that you hear from this – "

"I know, I know! Stop telling me that. You smell, go brush your teeth," Chopper grumbled, pulling on his headphones as Sanji found the playlist he wanted. He patted the reindeer's head and then turned off the light, putting the scissors away atop of Chopper's desk. The room he'd once had as a teen was now Chopper's – with bookshelves everywhere, the full bed changed to queen, with half of the room his and the other half Shachi's when he chose to stay over.

He looked at the small form with fondness, amused by his gruff attitude, then shut the door. Once out of Chopper's sight, he exhaled with anxiety, looking at the bedroom he shared with Law. The other man hadn't come back home, yet, having texted him an hour ago that he was still with the others. It made him feel anxious, wondering if he'd even come back after their exchange, today. He didn't know if he could sleep alone.

With a hard swallow over the lump in his throat, he went to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. By the time he pulled up the blankets and looked over at Law's side of the bed, he felt anxiety build again. He reached out and touched his pillow, wondering how he should feel.

Almost an hour later, Law came back, but he wasn't alone. Sanji sat up with concern, then horror once he realized Penguin was supporting him. Both of them were covered with blood, looking battered and bruised.

" _What happened_?" he demanded, reaching for Law with rising panic, realizing that he was clutching a bloodied t-shirt around his arm, which was tied up in a makeshift sling against his chest. He looked shocked, and Sanji felt utterly helpless at the moment because if this man could lose his composure like this, he felt unable to do anything. He looked at Penguin, who looked very tense, helping Law sit down at the edge of the bed.

"It was that guy. He attacked _hard_. He has Shachi. He's not going to let him go until he gets Law to agree to their terms. I was able to stabilize him, but…he almost lost his arm, Sanji. It's pretty bad," Penguin said grimly.

Chopper left his room, sniffing the air. Once he saw the scene, he gave a startled scream, startling them all.

"OH my _God_! Call the ambulance! _Call the doctor_! He's _dying_! How can you assholes just _stand there_ staring at him?"

"I _am_ the ambulance, fool!" Penguin snapped back at him. "How dare you doubt my superb medical skills?"

Chopper composed himself, then straightened up with a fluff of his chest. "Well, _I'm_ a doctor, so….I'm more advanced than you are."

"I'd tell you to prove it, but I've already contained the situation!"

"Paramedics can only bandage a wound, they can't cure it. I'll be right back!"

"Little shit," Penguin said scornfully as Sanji looked up into shocked amber eyes, feeling his chest tighten with severe anxiety over the expression there. Law's skin was much too pale, and Sanji touched him tentatively. There was nothing like the feeling of being so helpless and yet so close – he just wanted to hold him tightly, to fix whatever had been done.

"Okay, look, Chopper can help. How bad is it?"

"Don't look at it, Sanji," Penguin advised, stopping him from unwrapping the material they'd used to support it.

"I cut up dead animals, I've seen enough –"

"Well, this animal nearly gnawed right through. It's hanging by a literal thread, here."

"I can do this, Sanji, move aside," Chopper said with a determined expression, carrying a large suitcase, bigger than him, that he kept underneath his bed.

Amused, Penguin watched as he set it on the bed and opened it, displaying a display of expensive medical equipment. He pulled out a set of goggles, snapping them over his head. Law was in too much shock to push him away as he unwrapped the t-shirt securing his arm in place. When he saw the damage, Sanji didn't realize he was looking up at the ceiling until Penguin caught him, chuckling.

Chopper gave a grim frown. Then he began searching for a needle and thread, setting aside his personal feelings. "This is going to require some time and effort, and I need an assistant. Go put him in the other room until he can get the balls to handle a little blood. Then clean your hands, you bastard. This is _my_ area of expertise."

"Aye, aye," Penguin said with amusement, easily slinging the unconscious man over his shoulder and walking off to do as Chopper said.

: :

Later that morning, Chopper exhaled heavily. He wiped his brow, and then removed his goggles. Penguin finished pulling on the tape, then applied it securely, mindful of the movement. Chopper's supply of pharmaceuticals had assisted with the impromptu surgery, and had Law sleeping somewhat comfortably. But he was certain that the man's arm was saved – he needed time to allow it to mend properly.

"I am secretly impressed," Penguin said to Chopper, who looked at him with a severe frown. "Those hooves are magic. They sell those on the black market, did you know? I wonder just how much I can get out of them to pay off my student loans – "

"You even come _near_ me with a knife - !"

"Or sell you to a zoo. They'd pay me millions for something like you. In fact, tomorrow, let's go scout out the zoos in the area. You and Bepo."

"You bastard, quit trying to sell us to a zoo!"

"Stop teasing him, ass. Pick on someone your age and size," Sanji said, pushing Penguin aside as he sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch Law's face. Then he reached over to hug him, feeling utterly miserable for this moment. He hated the feelings of helplessness and horror that he currently felt, seeing this man in such a vulnerable position. All he wanted to do was hold on and not let go.

"Not so rough," Chopper said worriedly, hopping off the bed as Penguin gathered up the bloody material around them. "He'll be out for awhile, Sanji. He needs his rest."

Bepo peered in, his face terribly distressed. Penguin saw him and held his hands out for the order he'd texted off an hour ago. Once he deposited bags of blood onto his arms, Bepo walked in, carefully stepping around Chopper, who darted out of his path as the polar bear crawled up the other side of the bed and laid in the space available. Then he started crying.

"Bear! Stop that! Don't be a puss!" Penguin snapped at him, handing Chopper one of the bags, Chopper hastily hooking it to a hooking system created out of temporary tape hooks Sanji used for various household things. Sanji stood up and shifted aside to allow him to hook up the bag to Law, to replenish the amount of blood he'd lost.

"I can't help it! I should've been more helpful!" Bepo cried.

Penguin returned to the bedroom from putting the bags into the fridge, then bent and gathered the mess he'd created on the floor to toss the material into the laundry basket Sanji had left nearby. "Don't worry about it. You did follow them back to their hideout, right? We have to go get Shachi."

"Yes. It's that old town bank, their corporate offices, on 23rd. Right near the downtown area," Bepo sniffled, nuzzling one of Law's feet, then hugging it to his face. "He's just as hurt. Maybe worse. So they'll be extra protective of him, too."

"That Gamma Knife move messed up the other guy. That was the only reason why he nearly bit through the bone. He pretty much thought he was going to die. Too bad he didn't. Now we have to get Shachi's dumb ass from their evil clutches. God, he's such a _dork_."

"I'm sure it won't be that easy," Bepo said with worry, very tenderly reaching out with one paw to pat Law's head. "Given the circumstances, I don't know if they'd send out the other agents to take advantage of his current vulnerability."

"Which might be a problem for us, so I think we should move him to another location that they don't know of. We shouldn't let Corazon know what happened until Law decides to tell him. Corazon's current position might put him on shaky ground with the crooked politics in effect, right now. Or he'll just straight up freak out."

"Definitely need to hide this from Corazon."

"If you want to move him, then you'd better decide soon," Chopper said to Penguin. "Right now, his muscles will swell after all the trauma they'd endured, and he's vulnerable to infections, right now."

"Maybe we can pay cash to a hotel, huh, Sanji?" Penguin said, looking for the man, then reacting with a start once he realized the other man wasn't there. "Crap. Momo!"

" _CHOPPER_!"

" _Chopper_ , fetch, he's gone! He must've took off after Bepo gave the location!"

Chopper looked horrified for a moment, then gave a stubborn frown. "No. I must stay with my patient. If Sanji decides he's going to cause a scene over this, then let him go. No one can talk him out of it at this time. Law's stabilization is more vital to me than Sanji's revenge. If we need to, we can contact the other Strawhats to intervene."

Penguin looked panicked, considered his words, then shrugged. He said to Bepo, "I have a feeling that once they stabilize _him_ , they're going to come looking for us. Keep the Strawhats out of it, for now. Luffy will freak and his impulsive reaction won't be helpful to any of us. Get the truck, I'll pack some shit, and _you_ , make sure he's good for now. We'll give Sanji an hour before we go look for him."

Both animals nodded.

: :

Spandem looked worried, standing in his night robe and slippers, his silk pajamas glimmering under the harsh lights overhead. The surgeons assigned to Lucci had done their best, and were cleaning up after themselves. Next to him, Califa, Blueno and Kaku looked on with grim expressions, the three of them in their pajamas. The man was sedated, Hattori sitting near his head, the heart monitor running with assuring action.

Jabra rose up from the chair nearby, his left side splattered with blood. "Well, no use looking sad, about it. They saved him, at least."

"But at what cost?" Califa asked.

"We have one of those guys in custody. At this point, all we have to do is rough him up a little, send that ass proof of it, and get him to sign. With all the effort he put into trying to get him back, I'm pretty confident he'll sign that paper, now," Jabra said.

"We'll take advantage of it. If his wounds are as grave as you'd described, then he's vulnerable, too. I will see to it that this document is signed," Califa said, turning away to go get dressed now that she knew Lucci was fine.

"How could this have happened?" Spandem asked impatiently.

"Hey, that guy set Lucci up, did that weird thing to him. Lucci nearly bit his arm off just to save himself. I say it's even, now, only we got the advantage! We have that kid!"

"Still, I'm nervous," Spandem admitted. "You're making it sound easy, but in actuality, it's probably not."

"I think we should have some confidence in him, Spandem," Kaku said, giving a grim smile. "The other guy was more than capable of getting them out of a situation."

"If he's not the one here, then _he's_ plotting on rescuing his friend! And you saw what happened last time! When a captain's down, the first mate will always come through! Don't let your guard down!" Spandem advised, turning and leaving the room.

Kaku frowned after him, then looked at Blueno and Jabra. "Well, on that note, it's morning. I suppose we should assist Califa."

"I'm out," Jabra said, yawning heavily. "I need a bath, and a bed. Go help her 'talk' to the kid we got in custody. He's on the third floor, in the first holding cell."

"Fine. Let's go, Blueno."

Twenty minutes later, Califa examined the Nikon camera she found in Spandem's office, then leaned over to look on the document she'd typed up last night. It was a similar form to the one Lucci had tried getting Law to sign the other day, but with needed corrections, typos eliminated. She was certain that this document was perfect in every way. She printed it out on the company letterhead, then looked up as Kaku and Blueno walked in with Shachi.

For a moment, she was stunned. She'd never seen the guy's face before, and now that she did, she was rendered speechless. Her vision had her seeing a reluctant copy of an Asian actor; his reddish, razored haircut, his sharp bone structure, his frowning lips and unusually colored eyes made her chest constrict. He was significantly slighter in structure compared to Kaku, but walked with a light step that suggested a capability in battle that shouldn't be underestimated. With his hands tied behind him, he didn't seem that much of a threat, but she was pretty sure, after viewing the security footage with Spandem and the others, that he wasn't to be ignored. Her fingers lifted shakily to her mouth, and she breathed, " _Takeru_ …"

"What?" Kaku asked her, giving her a bewildered look.

"Takeru Satoh…"

"I get that a lot!" Shachi said cheerfully with a lanky shrug.

"Please…your partner… _Miura_ …Hiruma?"

"Oh, you're one of _those_ , aren't you?" Shachi asked with visible horror.

"Get a hold of yourself, we have a job to do," Kaku said to Califa, who had to use the desk to support herself, hand to her mouth. "What is wrong with you, gosh darn it?"

"Maybe we should do this ourselves?" Blueno asked cautiously.

" _No_! No, I can…I can do this. I am a professional," Califa said, composing herself. She exhaled heavily, hands moving over her outfit with self-conscious action. She stumbled slightly as she retrieved the form she needed, and her hands shook as she stamped the official seal into the bottom left corner of the paper.

"In order to maintain rule on your group, and enforce the rules that everyone has agreed upon following, we'll need your superior's signature here," she said, clearing her throat once the tickle started. She showed Shachi the paper, which was upside down.

"He's not going to sign that," Shachi assured her.

"He will after we're finished with you," Kaku threatened, tightening his grip on Shachi's shirt, fist raised. "This fight with Lucci proved that he has a marginal amount of compassion for his friends."

Shachi made a mournful expression, giving a slow exhale. He was intensely troubled after seeing that image of his friend doing everything he could to try and save him from that mad animal. "Ah…senpai…I truly am worthless…"

Califa immediately shoved Kaku away before the man could land the punch. Shachi gave her a confused look, unsure of her actions.

"Convince him to sign this paper, and we shall return you to your friends!" Califa stammered, cheeks red.

Shachi pulled at the tie around his wrists without any luck, much like the first time he had them on. "I'm telling you, you're wasting your time with that thing! First off, _why_ should he sign it? Just so he could follow your dictatorship? Ridiculous. It only means you get to bully us as much as you bully the others."

"We're not _bullying_! If anything your group has been responsible for the theft of syndicates' hard earned money!" Kaku exclaimed. "We just want you guys to follow the same rules as everyone else!"

"We're not even bad guys! See, the thing is, we started this entire outfit just so Law could eliminate the White Rabbit – which was sold to _high school_ kids, right? Hello, let's get drugs off the street? And he only bothers everyone else because, newsflash? You guys are all crooks! We're Robin Hood!"

"But you guys assist the Strawhats, and you've used Donquixote Doflamingo and Corazon – "

" _Correction_ , the only time Law jumps in when it comes to the Strawhats is because of his ridiculously tempered tyrant of a wife. _And_ , he's never used Doffy and Cora's services – Cora steps in because he's his kid. Never in all our participation did we do anything unless it was for the benefit of others. Law put a stop to all that crazy stuff those guys were selling because of personal issues."

Kaku frowned, then stared up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. Blueno looked concerned, bending at the knees just slightly to look Shachi in the eye. "Where does the money go?"

"I'm this close to my master's, okay? And Penguin works for the city, and you know that pays for shit. Law makes anonymous donations to city things – like that stupid aquarium. And the zoos are being shut down because of him, animals returned to preserves. He's into that sort of thing; he's a one man animal liberation front. Oh, and children's hospitals – can't forget that. That's extra special for him."

"Your…master's…?" Califa asked, struck.

"But – "

"Either way, you can't make him sign it. I won't forgive him if he does. If anything, in all these years of being ordered around by him, I've never felt as if we've done anything wrong, or to offend the city, or to harm anybody other than who needed to be harmed. _You_ guys are bullying _us_ ," Shachi added. "Who's the real show of power, here?"

Kaku crossed his arms. He looked at Blueno and Califa. It was obvious the woman would do Shachi no harm, and Blueno looked too concerned about the man's spiel that he would have to be convinced to follow his directive. But he had to admit, Shachi was right. In all the years they'd watched over the groups' activities, never did the Happy Virus crew do anything harmful or illegal against the city or to anybody other than the crooks that happily lived in their complacent lives of crime.

"Argh," he groaned. "Listen, you two. We were given an order. Spandem made it clear what we had to do. This is only business."

" _Children's_ hospitals?" Califa repeated, looking at Shachi with such a warm expression that he misread it, knowing that she was falling over herself over Law's rather manly looks and golden heart.

"Those are amazing causes," Blueno admitted. "I'd always felt sorry for the apes. They looked so sad."

"We have _orders_ , guys!" Kaku protested.

"Look guy, the city doesn't pay Penguin enough for his services, and he works overtime saving people; I'm still living with my goddamn parents, who keep trying to marry me off, and Law uses that money to take care of Sanji because Sanji is still this super pirate-guy after what Hiluluk did to him – "

Califa used her shin to block the punch Kaku threw at him, Shachi ducking belatedly, having never seen the man move. The woman was even faster, and he was jolted by the colliding of force between them.

"Califa! What are you doing? We have orders!" Kaku growled as she held him off.

"We can't do this! This feels wrong!"

"Why are you saying that?"

The building shook at that moment. Kaku and Califa looked towards Blueno, then at Shachi, but the man was already gone, taking advantage of the moment to hide from their view.

" _Darn_ it! Califa!" Kaku exclaimed, looking around the office with a horrified expression. Califa reddened, clutching the ruined paper between both hands. "Find him! I'll go find out what that was - !"

He was cut off as the building shook again. The violent shaking lasted for a few moments, then the glass windows started to vibrate. The unusual sound caused them to still – then the wall began to shake, and suddenly the earth moved again. The entire building began to lean, causing all of them to stumble towards the right. Various items fell off the desk, and paintings on the wall began to fall from their mounted positions.

"We're under attack!" they heard Spandem scream. "Evacuate Lucci to safety!"

"How many of them are in here?" Kaku asked, managing to follow Blueno out from the office. As Califa stumbled after them, Shachi quickly took the hallway away from them, still struggling to get the plastic ties off.

"I don't know, I haven't checked the security system yet," Spandem said, the building shuddering. Then, in a violent upheaval, it shifted upward, then down in an upsetting motion. All of them couldn't help but shout, reaching for something stable to keep them standing.

A medical team was hauling the bed Lucci was in towards the main hallway, intending on evacuating to the stairway. But then the floor shuddered violently, and the rumbling began to build. Glass shattered, and walls began to crack.

"Get me out of here!" Spandem yelled, clinging to Blueno.

"To the roof!" Kaku shouted, pointing towards the stairway. "We'll have a better chance jumping to safety!"

"What about Lucci?" Califa cried, the medical team hesitating as they looked back to them for guidance.

Awakened by the noise, the man took a few moments to register what was happening around him. Hattori was settled comfortably next to his head, unmoving as the building shuddered again. He chuckled weakly.

"This is not funny!" Spandem roared. "This is serious! We're in grave danger!"

"I guarantee you…this is the work of one person. Let me up. I refuse to face him like this," Lucci decide, reaching out and disconnecting himself from the IV stand, from the heart monitor that the medical team fretted over. As he stood up, revealing all the bandages neatly wrapped around his chest and mid-section, wearing only his pants, Hattori took flight, fluttering around restlessly until landing on his shoulder.

"You'll re-open your wounds!" Kaku cried, hurrying over to him as Spandem clung to Blueno, almost climbing up his back.

"Rob - ! Let us take care of this issue!" Califa exclaimed, looking at him in fright. At that moment, all of them caught their balance as the floor underneath them shifted upward, then resettled down, causing such an intense groan of sound that she was sure it'd collapse underneath them at any second. Shakily, she caught her breath, then made her way to her comrade's side, looking at him fretfully.

"Get me out of here!" Spandem bellowed, clinging to Blueno's back. Blueno looked at Lucci, who nodded in his direction. Blueno left them with a reluctant sigh, headed for the stairway. Jabra appeared to their left, wearing his pajamas, looking utterly confused. A shift under their feet caused the building to tilt again, to the opposite side – glass shattered noisily around them, the walls cracking.

"What is happening? _Are we under attack_? By _whom_?" Jabra shouted over the noise, looking entirely freaked out. Then he noticed Lucci standing, the medical team shaking nearby, reluctant to leave without an order. "What are you doing out of bed? Are you _crazy_?"

Before Lucci could answer, the wall to their left nearest the elevator exploded outward, debris raining over them. Kaku did his best to protect his friend, forcing Lucci to bend, hearing his awkward growl of pain. Califa stood in front of them, Jabra scrambling to join them.

As debris settled over the floor, Sanji skidded out to a stop once he caught sight of them. Red-faced and furious, covered in dust, his eyes locked on Lucci. He was wearing his pj's – a white t-shirt and faded orange plaid pants – with blood stains on one side of him, of which Lucci knew wasn't his. He was wearing a pair of shoes without socks, which told Lucci that this encounter was entirely impulsive, driven by his emotions.

" _Where is he_?" Sanji growled out, moving in their direction, fists balled up. He didn't get his answer, but as a set of assassins readied themselves to fight, he gave a low growl, moving into a stuttering step.

" _Down_ \- !" Lucci warned them before Sanji leapt up, and threw all his weight and force into the floor just feet before them, causing the floor to crumble under the sheer force of power before his foot even touched the surface. The moment it did, the floor collapsed underneath them.

Kaku propelled both himself and Lucci upward, Califa managing a somersault back onto firm and steady ground, Jabra shouting out with surprise as he scrambled up by crawling upward onto the falling sections of the floor.

Once they managed to stabilize themselves, they saw that Sanji was gone. But not even a minute later, he was bursting through another section of the floor, causing intensive damage in that area. The building shuddered in protest, especially as he began kicking through the walls nearest him, causing as much damage as he could to the general area.

"You're going to collapse the building!" Jabra shouted at him.

"Like I give a fuck! Where's Shachi?" Sanji shouted at them, looking fairly enraged. The moment none of them made to answer, he was once again kicking downward, causing another considerable sized collapse that actually caused the ceiling above them to rumble dangerously as the entire floor began to fall downward. The group had to right themselves hastily, moving towards the stairway to escape the damage.

" _Remarkable_ ," Kaku heard Lucci say with admiration, giving him an outraged expression.

"Don't praise your damn enemy! He could kill us all!" Kaku exclaimed as they made their way up to the next floor.

Once they emerged onto that level, the building rumbling around them, the floor exploded further off down the hall.

"Stop. Let me face him," Lucci told him, visibly distressed by the extra pressure on his body. His bandages were starting to color.

"Everyone else, get out of here! Quick! The building is unstable!" Kaku shouted to the others. To Califa, who was giving Lucci a concerned look, reluctant to leave them, he said, " _Go_. We'll be fine. Make sure the others get out safely."

She nodded grimly, hustling the medical team out, Jabra following reluctantly. Then Kaku, supporting Lucci against one shoulder, turned and faced the man that was walking up to them quickly, intending on striking out.

Instead, Lucci held a palm out, and Kaku tensed, sure that he'd have to step in. He'd seen a variety of expressions on Sanji's face from the few times they'd run into each other, but none like this one. This one was full-on rage – a stark difference from the rather youngish appearance he had. Almost as if he were a completely different person. He wondered if this was the personality Shachi had spoken about earlier – this "super pirate" persona.

"He's free to go, if you can find him," Lucci said low, visibly straining to hold himself up. "This is illegal, you know. Damaging city property."

"I could give a fuck about legalities at this moment. Not after what you did."

"Innocent lives could be endangered – it's not just us in here."

"Like I said."

Lucci narrowed his eyes, blinking sweat from his eyes. "Are other human lives that invaluable?"

"It would not keep me awake at night. Now. For the last time. _Where is he_?"

"How little regard you give for others. The rest of your crew think in this manner?"

"They'll forgive me eventually. SHACHI!" Sanji bellowed, over the rumble of the building shifting under foot. Walking easily over the shifting floor, Sanji approached them, Kaku gritting his teeth as he prepared to defend his friend. But Lucci pushed away from him, hand on his comrade's shoulder before pushing Kaku a safe distance from him. Kaku hesitated, but he obeyed the quiet request as Sanji stepped up to him, a dangerous aura coming from him.

"Stand down," Lucci advised him. "I respect your intentions – looking at you right now, you don't give a fuck about the situation. And right now, you could possibly kill me, vulnerable as I am, thanks to your man. If I want to continue this, I would need to stand down and be patient."

"Patience is something I lack - !"

"It's understandable. But for now, I am standing down. If you can find this man, then you may have him."

" _SHACHI_!"

"WHHAT?"

Sanji turned away from Lucci at the sound of Shachi's voice, somewhere below them. "Come up here! Hurry up!"

Then he turned and looked at Lucci, glaring at him. "You won't get far like this. They won't like what you're doing. They'll rise up against you. This organization was formed with specific rules, rules that should be followed by the enforcer as well. If they're forced to submit by violence and threats, someone will knock you off your pedestal."

"Was he able to save his arm?" Lucci asked curiously.

"It doesn't matter to you."

Lucci took him in, taking in the sight of him. He was awed at the cold look to those eyes, similar to his own at this moment. Ready to kill. Destroying a building entirely on his own, readying it for collapse by his feet alone. Lucci almost shivered with overwhelming awe and want, wanting to touch some of that power.

The building rumbled again, shaking precariously under foot. He smiled, lightly at first, then gave a broad grin, Sanji glaring at him, teeth slightly bared as his facial features reflected everything he thought of the other man.

"You are so gorgeous at your most uninhibited," Lucci said low, just under the sounds of the potential collapsing. "Unrestrained, you've got so much power at your command – this side of you could have ruled the city."

"I don't want the city. Stay the fuck away from my family."

"I will…for now," Lucci assured him. "I can wait, however long it takes to get what I want."

"Wait forever, bastard. Fuck you. Ass."

"It's just _you_? I could've just rescued myself if I knew it was _just_ you," Shachi asked him with disappointment, as Sanji turned away from Lucci, and grabbed the collar of Shachi's shirt, dragging him after.

"You are one strange bird, Rob," Kaku muttered, handling his friend carefully. "You like that sort of thing, don't you?"

"More than I'd like to admit," Lucci said, feeling every bit of his injuries as Kaku pulled him up the stairs.

: :

When Zeff opened the door to his establishment, he frowned down at Sanji's state of clothes, and Chopper's worried look. Then he looked beyond them, to the truck that Bepo was driving, then back at Sanji.

" _No_."

"Just for a few days. Until things die down, and his arm's stabilized," Sanji said firmly.

"I have a wedding tomorrow."

"Then you have extra guys to help you."

With a suspicious expression, Zeff glared at the truck lingering nearby. Then he exhaled heavily, giving a shrug as he indicated for Sanji to come in. He turned and waved the go-ahead to the group, and then pointed towards the back driveway. He picked Chopper up in one arm, Chopper immediately protesting that he was 'perfectly capable of walking'. Walking in after him, Sanji shut the door and noticed that the house was, if a little impersonal, cozy with the wood stove burning off in the corner of the massive living area. Off to that was the den – everything was worn and cozy, allowing the comfort of a grandparents' home. There was even a toy corner in the living room, allowing small children to take advantage of the art supplies there, the various knick knacks and extra charging areas for electronics awaiting approval from visiting parents.

The stairway was marked for safety, and the upstairs rooms – seven in all - were most likely clean and ready for occupants. Zeff was in the kitchen, preparing some dishes for tomorrow, so the counters, two dining room tables aligned side by side, were littered with activity. There was one man sitting at the counter, drinking tea, and he turned and looked at them curiously. His shoulder length hair was tightly curled, pinned atop of his head with a couple of chopsticks. He was near seven feet tall, with a heavy bone structure that left him with high, jutting cheekbones, teeth pressing against thin lips, and deep eye sockets that made it seem as if the man's features were sinking into his skull. He was dressed in flashy bell-bottom pants with platform boots, a starry sash around narrow hips and a too-tight tee. His limbs were extremely skeletal as well, and Chopper decided he was not going to be put down anytime soon, clinging to Sanji while he gaped at the man with wide eyes.

"This is my grandson, the one I was telling you about," Zeff said gruffly, washing his hands. "That's his pet."

"I'm not a pet!" Chopper said with exasperation.

"It can talk? Wondrous! And you're the infamous Sanji! Zeff's told me your entire life story. I'm Brook. I'm just passing through."

"Hey, nice to meet you."

Once the back door opened, Penguin and Shachi helping Law walk, Brook watched with fascination.

"Take six and seven," Zeff muttered from the counter, not looking up. "Furthest from the normal humans. Double beds. You two will not be sinning in this house."

Embarrassed, Sanji frowned at him, then led the way up the stairs to show them the room. The entire second and third levels were as massively spaced as the downstairs. All the rooms were hardwood floors and wide spaces, with impersonal furniture in each. The two rooms Zeff spoke of were on the third floor, and was part of the attic space. They connected, holding two twin beds each, with a pullout couch in the room six. The bathroom between them was small and cramped, and as Sanji helped Penguin lay Law on the bed furthest from the bathroom in room seven, Shachi went exploring. Chopper was with him, both of them opening various doors and drawers, snooping curiously in areas they shouldn't. When Penguin lifted away to remove Law's shoes, then ordered for an inventory of the supplies in the large floor to ceiling cupboards, Law grabbed Sanji's arm. He was still so out of it, focused blearily on Sanji that Sanji wondered if he even know he was there.

"Gimme kiss," he slurred, touching his mouth. With some amusement, Sanji bent and kissed him gently before pulling back, seeing that Law was going back to sleep. With a frown, he shook him until those amber eyes were looking at him again.

"Say 'thank you'."

"…Brat."

"Quit sleeping. Wake up and pay attention to me," Sanji demanded low, poking at his nostrils, then pinching at his cheeks until Chopper bit him in the leg, causing him to yelp and pull away.

"Leave my patient alone! What's _wrong_ with you?" Chopper snapped at him, hitting his leg with one hoof, then kicking him. Sanji laughed, lightly kicking him to the side before returning his attention to Law once more. But this time he kissed the top of his head and hugged him gently, telling him he loved him over and over again. He couldn't help but rest his head against his chest, staring at the arm that was held firmly against him, nearly lost to an animal's teeth. He couldn't help but think about what life would have been like if Law lost it permanently.

After a quick shower and an argument settling – the two men fighting over who was going to take a shower next, Chopper arguing with all of them over having to take one himself when he took one last night – Sanji went back downstairs. Zeff looked at him with a grave expression, Brook looking at him cheerily over what looked like the same cup of tea.

" _What_?" Sanji asked of Zeff as he looked around, wondering where he could put himself to help.

"I have families in here all the time," Zeff said, looking disgusted, "so why is it when you and those full grown men come over, does it sound like you have one yourself?"

Sanji shrugged, washing his hands. "I can't help that those fools don't know how to behave."

"They're all older than you, right?"

"Correct. Childish bastards."

"So why are you howling the loudest over maintaining order, like a woman?"

"Shut up, old man. What can I do?"

"Sanji, how old are you?" Brook asked curiously, sipping at his tea.

"I'll be twenty-one March 2."

"Interesting. Pisces. Yet, you took on a child…"

"Chopper's real age is 16. But he behaves younger because he was originally a reindeer that turned human. He's actually very intelligent, and is a…very capable doctor, thanks to being raised by doctors. Unfortunately, because he was raised by a couple of supercentenarians, he's very…innocent. But, yes, I took in a child, okay? Fuck off."

Zeff reached out and swatted him hard across the back of the head, causing him to hunch and wince, covering his scalp with both hands. "Watch your fucking language around here! If I had families, I don't want to hear them bitching about your shitty mouth."

Brook laughed. "Oh ho ho ho ho ho! No disrespect, I was just going to say, how admirable! Because boys your age are more interested in what the world can bring to them, and not the other way around. What a commendable effort you're making, thank you for taking in that little man-thing."

"Reindeer."

"And those boys upstairs?"

"24 each."

"And the other one?"

"25."

"And this is acceptable to you?"

"It's absolutely fine with me."

"It makes _plenty_ of sense that you'd be comfortable with the elder set since you were raised by one," Brook then decided, Zeff scowling at him. "I don't know what you're complaining about, Zeff. Of course the boy would gravitate towards those older than him."

"Don't make this worse, you washed up old bag of bones. Sanji. Cut that shit up on the table over there. And keep your goddamn pet out of the kitchen. Those boys want to be useful, I need more wood. There's an axe outside. And what's wrong with that worthless thug upstairs?"

Sanji looked at Brook with question, Zeff waving it off. "He used to work for me. He's retired, now."

"The bakery took over."

Zeff sighed heavily, looking utterly exasperated. "Spandem was waiting for a chance to prove himself. I guess he couldn't wait any longer."

"Was this long time coming?"

"Sure was. You'll wait it out. Those old bastards won't stand too much of their control. Let me guess – it was Lucci that took his arm."

"Yep."

"Codgy little bastard. Stay far away from that one. Nothing but trouble."

Sanji kept his thoughts to himself on that subject.

"Well, talk to me. Tell me everything. I won't guarantee I'll have the right things to say, but I got enough opinion to give if you ask for it."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Later that night, Penguin helped Sanji push his bed next to Law's, then gave him a look. He didn't say anything, though, causing Sanji to wonder what that was about. He left with a light push of Chopper against the couch, Chopper running after him to bite him before hurrying back to the room. Sanji helped him make his bed, then searched for a nightlight, knowing that it was a lot darker out in the countryside than it was in the city.

"I'll be fine, Sanji, you guys are right there in front of me," Chopper assured him cheerfully, pulling the blankets up before Sanji turned off the lights. He could hear Penguin and Shachi talking low in the other room, their first language preventing him from knowing what they were talking about. It sounded like Penguin was angry about something, and Shachi had a whine to his tone, so it must have been some sort of brotherly reprimand for Shachi's actions.

Then, after some adjusting of the mattress, Sanji was lying next to Law on his good side. He reached between them to entwine his fingers between his, leaning over to kiss him goodnight. The man made to return the effort, but he was too far gone to put much strength into it. Sanji laid there with his thoughts, looking up at the ceiling. He couldn't believe how he could possibly think of another man while he was lying next to another. But he did think about how Lucci had looked at him – all awe and admiration, clearly recognizing him for his strength and ability. He couldn't remember Law ever looking at him in that way.

With every fight that came to him, Sanji hadn't been able to exert his full potential in any of them. Law was either there to step in, or one of Sanji's friends. He felt slighted by that, affronted that everyone either thought he was incapable of handling himself, or not believing in him. But this man, this _enemy_ , admired him for it. Gave himself up to let Sanji have his way. And how many times did that happen? From the look on his friend's face, it didn't happen very often.

Sanji wondered about that. He rolled over onto his side and looked at his childhood companion, his live-in, his best friend, his lover, his _everything_. Just looking at him made Sanji regret thinking the things he did. He reached over and stroked the hairs of Law's goatee, pulling lightly to see if it'd wake him up. Then touched his nose, his cheeks, traced over his jawline. This silence, this _stillness_ of this man made Sanji extremely nervous, and he couldn't help but pester him, wishing he'd just wake up and have a conversation with him. He just wanted some sort of acknowledgement in that Law was _okay_. He laid up over him, pressing his face up against his neck, smelling antiseptic, sweat, and traces of that spicy musk Sanji was familiar with. Reaching around, he found Law's ear, fiddling with the shell before finding his earlobes, playing with the earrings there before he eventually fell asleep in that position.

He woke up when the man began moving, cursing blearily. Then cursing outright because he'd tried to use his ruined arm, and Chopper was up quickly, on the bed before Sanji could do anything.

"How do you feel?" Chopper asked, as if he'd been awake and waiting for this very moment, leaning on his chest to look him over.

"Can't…breathe," Law complained tightly, causing Chopper some distress as he fretted, taking his pulse, looking at his pallor, using a penlight to examine the response of his pupils. Sanji removed him from his chest as Law looked at Chopper with a shrug. "I feel fine…for a guy that had his arm saved by his roommate's pet reindeer."

"Ass. I'm not - ! _Ugh_. Never mind. How does your _arm_ feel?"

"The trauma caused allows it to feel as if there's something else there. It doesn't feel like my arm. Nerve endings are shot, aren't they?" Law asked low, touching the sling, the methodical wraps that kept his arm from falling apart. It was very tender to the touch, and throbbed with pain; the staples and stitches underneath were tight, his skin crawling with foreign sensation. His fingers tingled as he moved them, and even then, that was an intense effort. The thought that he wouldn't have full use of his arm again made him feel sick.

"It depends on your recovery, now, whether you'll ever get full use of it," Chopper said sadly.

The grim acknowledgement in that statement caused silence between all three of them. Sanji shifted up uncomfortably. "You have to piss? Shit? Hungry?"

"I _smell_ like shit."

"No showers until these bandages can be removed. I'll run you a bath!" Chopper said, jumping off the bed and hurrying to the bathroom.

"I'll make you some food," Sanji said, moving to get up before Law reached out and caught his arm. He looked back at him, frowning with concern. Law looked at him for a few moments, a question forming on a dry tongue. Then he looked around himself, seemingly noticing their surroundings for the first time. "We're at Zeff's."

"Oh. _Ugh_."

"Stop it. Just until your arm heals. You and your kids."

Law looked at him sharply. "'Kids'? Is Shachi here, too?"

"Yeah, he's fine. I went and got him."

Law looked at him for the next several moments, and Sanji found himself discomforted by that silent expression. He had that thought that there was something Law was going to ask him – it suddenly made him think of Penguin hesitating last night, a question on his face. But Law just inhaled shortly, exhaling a moment later, letting it go.

"Thank you for that," he said low. "So, I'm assuming we're safe, for now."

"Yes. I haven't told anyone else, yet, and I think it was agreed that we shouldn't. Not yet."

"Good, because I don't feel like explaining myself to Cora."

"He would _freak_ out," Sanji agreed, leaning in to hug him, grateful that things were going to be okay. Law returned the gesture awkwardly with his one arm, Sanji straightening away. "I'll go make you something. Zeff's having a wedding here later today, so it'll be a good time for you just to sit here and rest up. All of us non-injured will be helping out."

"Sanji…I…" But Law cut himself off, and looked down at his injured arm with a severe frown. He seemed to change his mind, Sanji feeling worried as he waited. "My arm hurts."

"I…fainted when I saw it."

"You did? What a _pussy_."

"Shut up! Fuck," Sanji said impatiently, rising up from the bed, annoyed. He found his jacket, checked to make sure his smokes were in there, and walked out of the room as quietly as possible, so not to disturb the other guests that had come in late last night.

Law watched him go, a heavy sensation to his heart that felt painful. Chopper returned, looking up at him cautiously from his side of the bed. Reluctantly, Law said, "Thank you."

Beaming, Chopper cringed, looking away with an embarrassed rub of his head. "Aw, enough of that sappy bullshit, just a 'thanks' would suffice! I know I did amazing! Your arm is saved, you know!"

"I could've done better. I'd intended on cutting it off at the shoulder and sewing it back together myself, but since you needed something to prove, I let you do it."

"Shut up, asshole! You were unconscious the entire time! Like a fucking pussy!"

"Who's the irresponsible asshat that taught you such vulgar language?" Law asked, managing to get up from the bed without assistance. It hurt, though, because memory caused his arm to want to reach out and assist, and it twinged with painful action, making it difficult to repress a growl. He held a hand under the area where Chopper had worked on, willing those twinges to go away. Chopper watched him with worry, and Law continued on, certain that the next few days were going to be difficult. Especially when he had a lot to think about.

Lucci's words kept repeating themselves over and over whenever Law looked at Sanji, and he knew he was going to have a difficult time bringing them up. But he knew he couldn't ignore them, either. The more he thought about them, thinking about the things that had happened a couple of nights ago, the angrier he grew.

Later that morning, as Penguin and Chopper were unraveling the bandages to change them, Shachi approached them cautiously, watching with much apprehension as Law's arm was revealed. Chopper's stapling were precise and even, and the animal 'hmm-ed' as he examined it. He sniffed it, causing the three of them to look at him with disgust. Shachi frowned deeply as he remembered watching Lucci biting hard on that limb as Law drove his Gamma Knife into his chest, slicing down to his stomach, both of them refusing to move until it was absolutely necessary. In the end, the leopard hybrid was broken from the inside, and Law was just trying to hold his arm in place while Jabra made off with Shachi, powerless in that animal's grasp. It was a horrifying scene. Guilt made him sick.

"It seems to be holding up just fine," Chopper decided, pulling out a couple of vials from his suitcase, then selecting a syringe. "I made this myself. It's actually a muscle regenerator. It's capable of repairing microscopic tears in muscles, and it'll assist with the redevelopment of the connective muscle tissues that were torn. I've used it on homeless victims were chewed upon by other humans, and by animals. It has a one hundred percent effective rate. It'll assist with your healing capabilities caused by your own unnatural regenerative healing ability given to you by your abilities. Most of those with unnatural abilities are very fast healers. I suspect I will be able to remove these staples in just a couple of days."

Law gave the semi-clear liquid a suspicious look. Penguin watched him from the corner of his eye as Chopper injected it into the area with acute concentration, the man twitching only slightly in response to the hot flash of pain caused by the action.

Lightly patting the area clean, Chopper nodded at his work. Then set that syringe aside, reaching for another. "This will aid in the prevention of infection. Injected into the site, it will discourage any further degeneration caused by this trauma."

"That muscle regenerator…it's helpful for anything? Maybe you should make me another one of those. For…personal use."

"You plan on doing this again?" Shachi asked him cautiously, Penguin rolling his eyes skyward.

"Oh, I'm planning on future muscle tears. But not on myself."

Shachi frowned. "You're going to torture somebody with it? Cut them up, heal them, then cut them up again?"

Law looked at him, inspired. "That's a great idea. Not the one I had in mind, but that'll work, too."

"You'll not use my medicine for evil, you bastard," Chopper told him sternly.

"Senpai…keep that shit to yourself, please. This is a serious situation. You could've lost your arm," Penguin admonished firmly.

"But I didn't. So it's fine if I bitch about it, now."

"You've still got a few weeks before I can say it's fully healed," Chopper said.

"I…I'm so sorry," Shachi said, dropping to the floor in a deep _dogeza_ , startling them with his sudden action. " _I'm so sorry_ , senpai! This is all my fault!"

"It sure is," Law said, placing a foot on his head and pushing him. "This was my masturbating arm, now I have to relearn with my other – "

" _Stop_ it!" Penguin and Chopper snarled at him, one hitting him on the shoulder and the other hitting his knee.

" _Ow_. Hey, I'm injured."

"I'm being serious!" Shachi exclaimed, shoving off his foot.

"I am, too. Look, it's not a big deal. You're back, and that's all that matters. What we should focus on is what will happen if all of Chopper's experiments blow up and I grow a super bioweapon capable of rendering all my opponents – "

"I swear to God, I will _fuck_ you up," Shachi growled, up in an instant and grabbing his shirt, threatening to choke him.

Penguin gave an impatient sigh as he pulled Shachi away. "Anyway, senpai, please go visit Bepo in the woods. That bear is pissing me off with all this business about being upset over you. I don't know why. You're still an ass."

Law looked at him with concern, worried about Bepo's wellbeing in such a strange area. "He can't come inside? I'm sure if we open a window, he can sneak inside. He's the quietest undercover agent I have. Zeff will _never_ suspect."

"Fuck that bear!" both men snapped, walking away from him, Chopper looking after them with dismay. "We're going to work!"

Law scowled, then looked at Chopper, considering him to get the windows open. With his hands on his hips, Chopper said, "Zeff won't even let me go downstairs, today. Because of that wedding. I'm going to rewrap your arm, and you'll rest, today. I don't want you doing anything strenuous."

As Chopper set to work, Sanji walked in, dressed up in a black shirt, pink tie and fitted slacks, one of Zeff's aprons tied on tight. He brought with him the smells of the kitchen, flush-faced and cranky from arguing with Zeff most of the morning.

"Now that the worst part is over," Sanji trailed off, watching Chopper work for a few moments before looking at Law. "I heard you were doing a lot better, today."

Shrugging, Law looked at the bandages.

"Does it hurt?" Sanji asked, watching as Chopper concentrated on the project. He bent to kiss the man, a little surprised when Law shifted his head to avoid the touch to his lips. Straightening with a surprised expression, confused, Sanji frowned at him. "What?"

"I refuse to be babied in front of others."

"Hmm."

But Sanji knew that there was something bothering the man. He didn't want Chopper caught in the middle of it. He studied the man that didn't meet his eyes, then turned and left the room to finish working, and Chopper looked at Law suspiciously.

"Why did you act that way?" he asked.

"I just didn't feel like talking. I'm tired."

" _Right_ ," Chopper murmured, frowning slightly. "Well, rest up. I don't advise going outside, today. It's a very small wedding, but these elderly people are very talkative and curious. They'll bore you to death with their observations."

The thought of mingling amongst the elderly made Law frown. So, for most part of the day, he remained in the room. Chopper busied himself with watching videos on one of Zeff's iPads, then fell asleep. Once he did, Law left the room, intending on finding Sanji so they could have a few words to themselves now that everyone was occupied.

The wedding was being held near the lake's edge, and there wasn't a large crowd – he estimated maybe fifteen people in attendance, including Zeff, Penguin and Shachi, Brook, couple of the catering staff, the officiator, and the wedding party. It was a couple of older people that were being married, and it was quite lively. Sanji was watching from afar, smoking against a tree, and Law headed in that direction, wearing a coat that hung from his shoulders, hood raised over his head.

When Sanji saw him, he smiled brightly at him, in a better mood from earlier. All Law felt was a pressing anger in his chest, frustration building in a hard lump in his throat. So he didn't return the smile. Once he reached his side, he leaned against the tree, fiddling with the sling with his other hand.

"Feeling better?" Sanji asked him, flicking ashes to the side.

"Yeah, whatever. Why are they even bothering? One of them will wind up in the ground, tomorrow."

"Don't be a dick. They're happy. Everyone's having a lot of fun."

Law looked at him. "So, you had no problems getting to Shachi, yesterday?"

"No," Sanji answered. "In and out."

"Did that guy give you any trouble?"

Sanji shook his head, looking at him cheerfully. "You did him in pretty good. None of them had a chance."

"Oh? Bad ass motherfucker to the rescue?"

Sanji looked at him, detecting a tone. He studied his boyfriend's expression for a few moments, then asked, "What is your problem?"

"Nothing." Law then glared at the officiator that laughed, along with the couple, as the vows were exchanged.

Sanji watched them for a few minutes, thinking about his childhood goals. Wanting to be married, wanting to exchange vows with someone that he intended on being with for life. He had to admit, it made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, just thinking about it. They would marry, buy a house, fill it with kids and a pet. Maybe they wouldn't be a perfect family, but it would be one full of love and joy. He'd had the idea in his head what he was looking for since he was a child – he'd be the attentive, loving father, his wife a caring mother, and two (or three) kids loved and adventurous like himself. Quite the opposite of what he grew up with, but something he'd always dreamed about.

But that dream had changed over the years, and while he still imagined having a loving family of his own, things had changed a bit. He watched the couple hold each other's hands, looking at each other's faces, giggling and smiling as their friends cracked jokes. A part of him felt he'd never have that – but he recognized _that_ wasn't his life, now. This life, though, was different. Now there was a possibility where he could be married in front of friends that joked and cheered as he faced the one he wanted a life with.

He looked at Law, chewing on the inside of his cheek before saying low, "It's legal, you know. For men."

Law rolled his eyes, giving him a scornful snort. "You don't even want to share a _house_ with me. What makes you think I'd want to share my name with you?"

Sanji wouldn't deny the painful twinge he felt at those words. He felt a frown pull at his lips as he looked at him with a furrowed brow. "You're being a real dick, today. And why not _my_ name?"

"Because your name's stupid."

" _Wow_. What is your fucking problem?"

Leaning on the tree with his good arm, keeping his voice low to Sanji as he stood over him, Law said, "That guy was the one you were talking about, wasn't it? He made it real clear _you_ guys had something going on. It's fucking funny how you'd find something like that to your taste. Manbun wearing piece of shit is exactly your type, isn't it?"

Sanji reddened. At first he didn't know what to say. The happy couple laughed, rings exchanged. Most of their party clapped and called out jokes regarding how many times the bands had been recycled.

"He was nice enough to let me know how much you were into it when he was feeling you up the other day. Made sense when I came home and you were taking a shower. You didn't tell me about that part. You know. It being _him_ , and all. 'Never without your permission', huh?"

Sanji stared at the couple being showered with rice and flower petals. His mind was a complete blank. He felt both guilty and outraged and helplessly frozen, all in a heavy mixture. He knew he didn't do anything wrong, but at the same time, he felt he'd done everything wrong.

"You have nothing to say? You come up and say shit like how much you love me, and wanting _this_ shit, and yet you're over here, making fish eyes with someone that's been threatening you, your friends and mine? This is something that gets your dick twitching?"

He knew nothing he said would explain anything. So Sanji remained quiet and watched the couple walk back up the aisle, their friends clapping for them.

"No wonder it was so easy for you to retrieve Shachi. Which, thank you very much, I honestly thought they'd go so far as sending me pieces of him until I signed their stupid little agreement. Yeah, I'm grateful you had the balls to do something right. You know what really makes me steamed about the whole thing? Not only do you admit to being attracted to something like that, a half man, half beast - interesting choice of fuckery by the way - but you came home hot to me after every visit. He must really know how to get you going, huh? That's why you've been begging for it, lately. Hot little freak. Fucking whore."

Sanji said nothing in response, watching as Brook caught the flowers tossed out by the grinning bride. Law continued to call him names, everything he could possibly think of, and Sanji couldn't think of anything in response. He felt guilty, _caught_ , and so he felt he deserved the ugly sludge of verbal abuse. His cigarette burned down to the filter, and he didn't notice the heat burning his fingers; he was impervious to it, really.

By the time Law felt satisfied with getting his point across, he pushed away from the tree and began walking away, feeling white hot anger burning in his torso. Then he turned back, keeping Sanji to the tree, saying, "For these months I essentially paid to keep you sheltered, fed and alive, you'll pay it back, in whatever services I desire. You don't like it, get the fuck out of my home, and take your fucking pet with you. Come back to Zeff, like the useless retard you are. You don't want to do it, then you tell that old man what I just said to you. I'm going to make you fucking hate me for doing this to me. I gave you a large part of my life, even _when_ you weren't there, and you do this to me. _Fuck_ you."

"So that's it?" Sanji asked shakily, catching sight of Penguin frowning in their direction, pausing in mid-step with his hands full of food set for the nearby picnic tables. "You feel better getting that off your chest? You big baby?"

"Not really. I don't think I'll feel satisfied until I'm sure you feel the exact same thing _I'm_ feeling. Listen, if you truly loved me like you said, then you'll just take it. Just do as I say. I spent a lot on you. I should at least get some of it back, don't you think? All's fair? Then, after I'm done using you, which, depending on my mood, might be for a few days, maybe a week, you can go to him. And _then_ I'll make your life even more miserable after that. If you actually really loved me like you say you do, then this should be nothing. Now, I really need you to prove it, because I honestly don't believe it at this present moment. If you can't handle the shit I'm going to put on you, then walk away right now. This is your only warning."

Sanji felt like throwing up. He wasn't sure what to think or feel, but there was a lot of horror and hurt building up in his stomach, like a pool of acid, chewing through his insides. He'd never felt this way, before. He wasn't sure how to deal with it, blindly looking around himself for something to tether himself to. The utter venom coming from the man he told 'I love you' to regularly spewed such bitter anger into his words that Sanji felt like he was a complete stranger. He even looked at him, sure that this man had been switched with somebody else.

But those angry amber eyes watching him belonged to the man he'd woken up with this morning, and there was no give in them. He couldn't speak. The lump in his throat was too big. Once he realized Penguin was striding over, intending on intercepting, he felt relief because he couldn't breathe. He was frozen solid.

Law then leaned in close, saying, "Come up to the room in ten minutes. You're going to prove to me whether or not you've been letting him up your ass."

"Not _here_."

"Hiding something?"

"No, just… _please_ …don't…don't be like this, please. You're just…angry…"

"Prove it. _Prove_ it."

"Senpai, _stop_ ," Penguin said low, coming up between them, inserting himself so forcefully between them that Sanji nearly stumbled, and Law jerked back from him. "Not like this. Not here. I knew you were going to do something stupid, but not here at Zeff's. I'm sorry, Sanji, I should've warned you he was mad about something."

"Fuck you, Austin. Whose side are you on?"

"I'm _always_ on yours, and that's why I'm here, because I'm not having Zeff kick your ass again," Penguin said firmly, making sure no one was looking their way. Then he grabbed Law's jacket with both hands and pulled as the man glared maliciously at Sanji, and Sanji felt he couldn't do anything in response. But he looked away, looking back at the lake with mute shock, unsure of what to think. Feeling violently ill from the inside out.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, when everyone was celebrating the wedding over a dinner that had Zeff acknowledging his talent with introducing him to the party, Sanji managed to sneak away. He went up to the room, heavy hearted and afraid. When he shut the door behind him, he didn't know where Chopper was, but the reindeer wasn't in sight. He could hear everyone laughing and having a good time outside – the windows were open. He felt sick, acid eating at his guts as he found Law waiting for him by the bed.

"Are you serious about this?" Sanji asked hollowly, looking at him with pure pain in his features.

"Let's go. Prove it."

"Please… _please_ don't be this way. Don't do this."

"The longer you take, the more I think you're hiding something."

"Don't be unreasonable. _Please_. You're not this kid, anymore, you can't just retaliate in such ugly ways because you're feeling hurt - !"

"So, what you're telling me by refusing me is that you're still hiding things from me. I don't trust you, anymore. And you didn't even _deny_ what happened. So, now I think you've been doing more than what you're telling me. I have every reason to think you've done something wrong, and the more you talk, the more you hide your guilt from me. I only asked you for one thing, so far, and you're denying it. You're stalling, so what else are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything. I told you. And I'm _sorry_. I'm sorry that – "

"Your apology doesn't mean anything to me. I did everything possible for you. Even those years when you weren't here. And, now, look here – I learn from any enemy that you were fucking around with him. And you _like_ him. 'Physically attracted' is what you said, right? If you love me, _prove_ it."

Sanji didn't know what to say. He couldn't think. He knew he should be reacting differently, he should be outraged and furious, but he was struck with how furious this man was. And, combined with his guilt and confusion over his own actions, he knew he had to make up for it in some way.

He swallowed tightly. Then reached for his belt. His fingers were numb. He couldn't look at the other man, anymore. He didn't know who that was, looming over him so menacingly. He felt ashamed of himself for putting himself in this position in the first place. For saying anything. For feeling anything.

"Why are you doing this?" Sanji asked, looking up at him with every emotion he felt on his face. His fingers wouldn't work. He kept fumbling with the latch, so Law reached over and yanked it from him, then shoved him on the bed. Sanji felt numb. He covered his face with both hands and didn't move, feeling Law yank and pull at his pants and underwear. When they were tossed back at him, he heard him walk away.

The silence stretched for so long, that when Sanji heard Zeff's first shout for him, it seemed like hours had passed. He removed his hands from his face, looking around himself. Law was no where in sight. The entire incident left him sick. He removed his pants from his face, then pulled them back on. As soon as he was able, he then raced to the restroom, and vomited up all the stress and anxiety that had built up because of this mess. He sat at the toilet for some time, trying to compose himself. Once he was sure he was okay, that Zeff wouldn't suspect a thing, he flushed then rinsed his mouth out. Quickly ran his shaking hands through his hair, and examined his expression for any signs of trouble.

He practiced smiling a couple of times, then nailed the third smile. Sure that no one would suspect a thing, he hurried back down stairs, complaining loudly as Zeff yelled at him for slacking off.

: :

Zeff put down the last of the food trays, looking over at the two men in the kitchen. One was doing the dishes, the other was scowling off to the side, looking murderous. The tension was obvious, and he didn't like it one bit. Especially when his son seemed strangely subdued, today, a stark contrast to his usual loud, outgoing self. The man standing next to him wasn't saying anything – in fact, it was the first time he'd seen Law, today. Zeff frowned over at the bandages covering one arm, picturing the man that did it.

Lucci had always been an aggressive man – never apologetic for it, always willing to push the limits once it interested him. While Lucci didn't want power or position to be where Spandem stood, he wanted a position that allowed him to feed off the weakness of others. And his friends fed into it, relying on him to be this person that coveted a strange sense of justice.

Lucci hadn't ever challenged Zeff – but Zeff knew he'd sized him up. Looked for weakness, like a predator would. But in the end, the man gave Zeff a wide, respectful berth, and didn't challenge him the way he did with Spandem. Zeff wondered what Lucci thought of Sanji, who was quite capable of outthinking him when it came down to it.

"What's your problem?" he asked Law gruffly, not really caring.

For a moment, the man chewed on an answer. Zeff saw the slight tension in Sanji's neck, heard the slight drop of dish against sink.

Then Law muttered, "I can't see my forehead."

Zeff didn't even try to understand that answer – he threw a plate at the man's head, snapping, "If you can't act like a goddamn adult, then don't breathe the air of adults!"

" _Old man_ ," Sanji said, turning to frown at him, "It's your fault for falling for that shit in the first place. Second, is that all the dishes?"

"Yeah," Zeff grumbled, sitting at the counter, looking at the decorative items that made it a welcome place to sit. He could hear the voices of Brook entertaining the two men, Chopper, and one of the other older guests in the living room. Some gallant story involving himself, a friend, and a whale from Sea World. He tapped his fingernails against the marble surface, then looked at the pair again. He didn't like how close Law stood next to Sanji. The man hovered around him a lot, but this was a different sort of hovering. In fact, the more Zeff looked, the more he felt it was a type of smothering.

"Give him some damn space," he finally said. "I don't know how anyone can breathe like that when someone's looking down their damn neck like you are."

There was that odd tension, again. But after making direct eye contact that could have meant anything, Law took a very slight step to the left. Zeff looked for something else to throw at him, but Sanji turned and looked at him tiredly.

"You should retire to your room, you're too fucking old to be up this late," Sanji told him in their language.

Zeff snorted. "At my age, there's no need to sleep. I might not wake up."

"I don't think it'd be old age for you."

Zeff laughed. He said, "In any event, should such a thing happen, at least I'd lived a full life. Not too many regrets will follow me. There will be just enough to keep me from that special place."

Sanji scrubbed at a pan, then looked out the window. Law was barely a foot away from him, but he felt penned by his foul temper. He didn't have to say a word – it was the very aura of it, all the dangerous things he could repeat, all the angry words that he still had left after that encounter this afternoon. Either he was just waiting for the moment he could release them, or was just using his presence to drive the point home.

"I remembered something of that day," he said, still talking in their language. Not to keep the conversation from Law, but because it was just a habit when he was with Zeff, who insisted on it. "Especially that moment when you hesitated."

Zeff said nothing; just stroked one of his braids with a thoughtful air. Looking off to the side with a distant expression, letting the silence linger. Brook said something that caused Shachi to laugh uproariously, Penguin shooting in his own comments while Chopper yelled with indignant action.

"It's either the zoo or stewpot, you little mutant!" Penguin suddenly laughed.

"If anybody cooks me, I'll make sure you all get shits for a week!" Chopper yelled at him. "And being around you guys makes me feel as if I'm already in a zoo! You're a bunch of animals!"

"I did," Zeff said low. "Of course I did. I'm surprised you remember that, after all this time."

"Sometimes, these things just come to me. What was in that drawer?" Sanji asked, scrubbing once again.

"A gun."

"You said you weren't involved – "

"I wasn't. I told you that. But I hesitated because _what the fuck_ was I supposed to do with a kid? Especially one like you? The way my life was at that time, there was no room for a kid. That was me, then," Zeff said, looking off to the window once more. "I'd lost my own family to this violence, and here, this girly-faced, snot-nosed brat was seeking my comfort while his family was being slaughtered? What the hell was I supposed to do? _Of course_ , I hesitated. I should've walked away. Let them finish the job."

"You had a _family_?" Sanji asked, turning to look at him, speaking with surprise. "You never said anything like that."

Zeff gave him an impatient look. "Why do you think I keep telling you to find yourself before you commit yourself to one person? I did the very same thing you did. And it didn't turn out well."

"But I'm not you."

"You're not, I agree with you on that one. Does not mean that I'll stop pushing for it. Instead of tying yourself down to an idiot that keeps glaring at me like I'd just shit in his socks, get out there and find out what sort of life exists beyond what you're already familiar with."

Sanji set aside the pot he'd just spent the last few minutes scrubbing, frowning at the soap suds. Then he said low, "What were they like?"

"They were beautiful," Zeff answered vaguely.

Sanji looked back at him, now intensely curious about this aspect of Zeff's life he'd never even heard of.

" _STOP_!" Chopper screamed, Penguin laughing as Brook said something that sounded affronted. "You guys are mean!"

"Penguin's the ass!" Shachi was laughing.

"No, you stupid ass, I didn't get here in the front grill of a goddamn slaughter truck from Canada! What is _wrong_ with you?" Chopper cried before growling, Penguin yelling out with pain.

"How did they…?"

"I made too many enemies, too many mistakes. Let me tell you something, you domestic little shit stain – this theory of having a happy family while you're involved in this world isn't a reality. It's a dream. It does not last. They either leave you, or they're used against you. I kept you from this world because I didn't want you repeating my fucking mistakes. And what do you do? Get yourself involved in it, months from my retirement!"

"Admittedly, you old fart, what I have now isn't like yours."

Zeff looked at him with a cynical frown, like he'd heard this before. "Oh? How so?"

"It's not exactly…conventional," Sanji said carefully.

"That's exactly what I thought when I had mine. I had certain expectations based on their strengths that made me feel we'd be a forever sort of thing. And maybe it would have …unfortunately, both of us went soft at the wrong time, thinking this was how it should be, and it got them killed while I was away."

Sanji frowned at him while Law just looked at Zeff, eyebrows furrowed. Then he looked off to the side, plunging his hands back into the soapy water. "You should've just followed your instinct," he muttered, "and left me there."

Both of them ducked at the plate that shattered over their heads. Zeff looked furious as he said, "Saying shit like that is kind of pointless at this time, isn't it? After all this fucking time, I don't want to hear anything like that from you again, you fucking brat. I didn't sacrifice and fumble my way through raising you just to hear you saying stupid shit like that. What's done is done. I'm going to bed. If I die, it's because you pissed me off."

Zeff left the kitchen, then went into the living room to snap at the group for being so loud. Brook just returned a few words of his own that had Zeff snarling at him, then he made his way upstairs.

Feeling reprimanded enough to feel shame for uttering those words, Sanji returned to his task. After a few minutes of contemplative silence, Law said, "He made his relationship very ambiguous."

Sanji looked at him with a start, surprised. In English, he said, "You knew what we were saying?"

"I grew tired of being excluded from your conversations, so, yes, I learned. Enough to get by."

"You never said anything…I could've taught you – "

"Admittedly, I wasn't going to say anything, but that surprised me enough to slip. And shut up. Don't talk to me. I didn't say you could talk to me."

Sanji rolled his eyes and frowned down at his task. "You're just going to stand there and glare at me all night?"

"If I have to feel discomfort, I'm going to make sure you do, too."

"Can I at least have my cigarettes, back?"

"Would it make you happy having them?"

"Goddamn it, it's a fucking addiction, I _need_ them, all right?"

"So it makes you feel miserable not having them? On that note, then, _no_."

"You never change," Sanji muttered, picking out pieces of a broken plate from the water. Then he continued washing, filling the other side of the sink with dishes needing to be rinsed. Law glared off to the left, lips tight.

"And why should I?" he asked sharply. "Obviously, it doesn't do me any good. In the end, I get shit on for it. I changed myself because of you, _for_ you, and what happens? You confess to finding fucking psychopaths 'attractive', to fooling around with them while fighting them."

" _He_ touched _me_ – "

"But you told him 'never without your permission', which is a fucking obvious invitation. You're not rejecting him – meanwhile, I'm the idiot thinking that you…" Law trailed off, red faced and angry. _Hurt_. "And you're not denying any of this, which I'd hoped, so…knowing that it's true just…"

Sanji didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.

"You made me believe in all these things. All these things that I couldn't imagine anyone thinking of me, because of who I am as a person. Knowing that it was just easy lies for you makes me believe that changing oneself for someone else is just bullshit."

"Everything I said, I meant it."

"Bullshit. All of it. _Fuck_ you. I've already decided what I'm going to do. I'm going to make you just as miserable as I feel."

Sanji understood that the other man was hurt. He knew nothing he said would fix anything. So he gave a one-shouldered shrug of acknowledgement and began rinsing. The silence was thick between them, and he felt uncomfortable with the stranger standing next to him, giving off such an angry aura.

 _One day, this'll only be a small blemish in our history_ , he thought morosely, only vaguely comforted by the hope he felt in that.

"Hey, senpai, I need to talk to you," Penguin said, walking into the kitchen with phone in hand.

"I'm busy."

"You are just standing there, like an asshole," Penguin said impatiently. "Don't you need to put Chopper to bed, Sanji? It's the little turd's bedtime."

Law frowned at him. "Chopper can put himself to bed. There are dishes to be done."

"SENPAI, GO OUTSIDE SO WE CAN TALK!" Penguin growled as he saw that Law wasn't moving.

"I'm going to put Chopper to bed," Sanji told Law, understanding that Penguin needed to talk to him in private. He drained the sink, reluctantly letting the rest sit until he could get to them later.

"I'm not ready for bed! I'm not tired!" Chopper shouted from the living room.

Reluctantly, Law straightened away from the counter. Hesitated for a moment, then looked at Penguin impatiently before the man gestured at the back door, holding up the truck keys.

: :

Sanji hauled Chopper to bed under one arm. The reindeer had wanted to stay up with Brook and the others, of whom were trading ghost stories, but Sanji wasn't about to deal with Chopper's nightmares afterward. Chopper protested, yawning heavily, so when Sanji had him brushing his teeth and putting him into the couch bed, his efforts wore him out.

"When will we go back home?" Chopper asked curiously, looking at Sanji while rubbing his eyes.

"Soon."

Chopper stared up at him for a few seconds, then furrowed his brow. "Why are you acting funny?"

"How so?"

"I heard Zeff getting mad at you earlier, but I haven't heard much from you all day – and Law is mad. I'd never seen him so mad. Did something happen?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about."

"But why would he look at you that way?"

Sanji shrugged. "I can't make excuses for that ugly mug of his."

With a heavy sigh, knowing that the reindeer's fear of being 'abandoned' played a lot with his close attention the pair, he knew nothing he said would soothe that anxiety until Chopper saw for himself that things were fine. "Chopper, _Tony_ , stop worrying about it."

"But I do! Especially because…people go away, Sanji, and even if their reasons are important to them, when they leave, they don't come back." Chopper frowned up at him. "Even if it'll only be us, you don't have the qualifications to support us. We'll have to live on the street if you don't want Zeff to help us. Or do you think we can stay with Zoro? I'm sure he won't mind if we stay with him, Sanji. I can ask him if you don't feel comfortable doing so - "

Sanji reached over and closed his fingers over Chopper's snout firmly. "I can't imagine that a fight would lead to that. Despite the stupid things Law says, I'm not going anywhere. If he feels looking at me the way you said helps him get through it, then it's not hurting anybody."

Chopper pulled away impatiently. "But _what happens_ if he doesn't want us? _Sanji_? What if he doesn't ever stop being mad?"

" _Calm_. _Down_. You're going to give yourself the shits over all this stress."

"I can't help it!" Chopper shouted at him, his young voice filling the room with obvious distress. "I can't help _but_ think about it! Yes, Kureha was old, and Dr Hiluluk - he was messed up but they were all I had! And when they were gone, they never came back! You keep saying 'don't worry about it, don't worry about it', but I'm _going_ to worry about it because what will happen to us if _nobody_ wants to take care of us?"

"I hate having to repeat myself, Chopper, so this is the last time. Stop overthinking this. Couples fight. They say things in the heat of the moment, and do things to go along with it, but it's only a blemish, a bump in the road to get over. It happens to everyone."

Chopper was quiet for a few moments, until he settled back into the cushions of the couch. Then he exhaled heavily, and said, "Okay. I'm going to trust you, Sanji. You're taking responsibility of this from now on. I'll try not to think about it, anymore."

"Thank you, pest."

Chopper rolled over, and Sanji could see that the reindeer was not done thinking about it. He lifted away from the edge of the sofa bed and heard Chopper say, "Then why are your beds separated? He doesn't want to lay next to you?"

Drawing his hands down his face with exasperation, wanting a cigarette so badly, Sanji said, "People do this all the time! When you're mad at someone, sometimes, you just want space from them."

"Well, maybe it's a good idea," Chopper then mumbled. "So his arm…won't get bumped. So. _Well_. Good night. I'm tired."

"Then go the fuck to sleep."

"Sanji…?"

"YES?"

"You can sleep with me if he doesn't want to sleep with you."

" _Go_ to sleep, please."

Once he heard the low snores coming from the small form, Sanji wiped his eyes again. He pushed his bed back up against Law's. If the man wanted to deny him this, then he would have to say so to his face. Just because he was mad at Sanji didn't mean they had to be separated. He then went to brush his teeth, changed into his cleaned pajamas, then headed down to Zeff's room.

He knocked once then walked in without waiting for an answer, seeing that the man was already in bed, back to the door. He shut the door behind him, then crawled onto the bed to flop back first over his shoulder, saying, "Old man. You never said anything about having a family."

"Could you _not_ , right now? This old man is trying to sleep," Zeff grumbled in their language.

"Could you not use slang like you're in fashion?"

"Your goddamn ribs are digging into my goddamn arm. Go eat a tub of butter."

"Why have you never spoken of them?"

"Because that's a completely different life from this one. Look forward, not backward."

Shifting so that he was sitting back to back with him, Sanji yawned noisily and ground an elbow into his spine, causing Zeff to curse at him. He picked at his fingernails. "I'll respect your privacy, it's just…it's strange. I didn't…like, you just threw it out there."

"Because I keep telling your dumb ass over and over again to be someone different, and nothing was working."

"Look, admittedly – I get why people are concerned over how I live my life. But get it in your head – when did I start talking of wanting this sort of life?"

"Much too young," Zeff admitted, untangling an arm from his blankets to push Sanji away from him so that he could sit up. Back against headboard, he folded his hands over his stomach as Sanji sat beside him, knees pulled up slightly so he could rest his elbows on them. "I get it. But that doesn't mean I'll give up pushing you to do something different. When you got your entire life ahead of you to explore, why tether yourself so soon to something that's not even – the ideals that you had as a teenager aren't the same as you have as an adult. That's what I'm saying. You have it in your head that this is ideal, and it's not. It changes as you change."

"People can change _together_ to fit," Sanji said patiently to him. He picked at his pants hem. "That's what happened with us."

Zeff rolled his eyes. "Look, brat, I admit – I will be forever grateful for that shithead's persistence, and everything he's done to take care of you when I couldn't. I won't deny that. _But_ I still feel that he's not the type of person I'd want you to settle down with when _you_ don't even know what you're capable of as an individual adult. I understand that he might, at his age, feel as if he's found what he is comfortable with, but you're younger. You've yet to wet your feet."

"Zeff," Sanji said firmly, "almost everyone feels this exact way, and, really, who the fuck are all of you to say this? To know what I want? _I_ don't even know what I want, lately, and I know it's because of Hiluluk. It causes people problems, yeah, but you guys aren't helping. You keep telling me that, and it feels wrong to me. At the same fucking time, I know what I want, but it _feels wrong_ , because _you_ keep telling me shit like that! Quit fucking telling me what I'm _supposed_ to be doing and what I'm _not_ supposed to be doing, or what I _should_ be feeling versus what you _think_ I should be feeling! I'm feeling mixed up inside, and you're not making it any better!"

Zeff reflected on this for a few moments, then drove the palm of his hand down atop of his head with a hard slap. "Why haven't you said anything about this? Had I known I was fucking up your brain with my caring, I wouldn't have even cared at all!"

"I just did, shitty old man!"

" _Well_ ," Zeff said with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest, "is that what that is? Is that what this is about? I had no idea."

"Now, you do. So lay off."

"What are you going to do about it, eggplant? Lay it out. What do you plan on doing?"

"Finish getting my GED, first. Then I'd like a job. Something decent while I look into school – there are good ones in the area, I'd like to do that. If possible, if he wants, I would want Law to finally go out and get a decent job himself – he has a very good degree, he could get any job as a surgeon anywhere in the city. Or even switch to pediatrics, because I know he thinks about his sister a lot – that's his domestic dream, and I think he's quite capable of following it. Meanwhile, I'd think Chopper should take on medical duties for the syndicates, where they'll pay him extravagant amounts of money for the injuries caused by all the fighting they get into, so he can treat the homeless, a low-key sort of thing he's been talking about."

Zeff gave him a look of disgust. "I didn't ask about those two. I asked about _you_. I specifically said, what do _you_ plan on doing?"

"I just _told_ you."

"And…and that's it. That's all you want. That's _all_ you imagine for _yourself_ , is getting a meager degree and a meager schooling for food arts, and you imagine that fucking punk as a specialized doctor, and that mutant a savior. There is _everything_ wrong with this fucking picture."

"Oh my god, what is _wrong_ with it?" Sanji asked impatiently, giving him a disgusted look.

But Zeff reached out and patted his head again, smiling tightly. Not out of anger or exasperation, but only because it threatened to show his true feelings.

"Some of us like to dream more for you, you know. That's all I'm saying. I've argued with you all your life, and even now, it's getting nowhere. I hate to say it, but if that's what you want, then I just have to accept it. But don't think I'll let it go too easily, you still being involved with this world."

"We're not the crooks," Sanji reminded him.

"I understand."

"So…old man…." Sanji chewed at his nails before saying, "What was your family like?"

Zeff looked down at his hands. "Those are best kept to myself."

"Is that how…?" Sanji trailed off, gesturing towards his half leg, visible under the folds of the blanket.

"Back then, we didn't have the medical resources that are available today. And I used it, thinking it would be impervious to bullets. Of course, that was proven wrong."

"Do you still think about them?"

"Every damn day."

Sanji peered at him, asking, "Wife? Or…husband?"

"All I'm saying is, my family was beautiful. And they'll always be in my heart. I've a new one, now."

"Is my family similar to yours?"

"What else do you remember of that day?" Zeff asked him, ignoring the question. "Tell me in detail."

"Hmm, I remember…a brother. I don't …remember his name. Standing next to me. The others were around as well, and…two were on the couch, and my sister, she…was looking outside. We were told to wait there. I remember feeling tense, like…we were arguing while waiting. It was a family room, grand and extravagant, and the furniture looked like something out of a Hollywood movie set. Like it wasn't supposed to be for kids. Everything looked so expensive. Fragile." For a moment, Sanji's face scrunched up as he examined the memory, then grew distracted. "None of that stuff would survive a day with mine. Law would make a mess wherever he went, Chopper and Bepo would have their fur over everything, Penguin and Shachi would be pushing each other over furniture, Luffy would break something just looking at it, Nami would be selling it off to the best Craigslist buyer…"

"Your family, the Vinsmokes, were very high class. Super snooty rich that none of them had to lift a finger to exercise themselves in anything that you'd consider normal. And you were part of a set, you know. Quadruplets. You were the third, but you were the runt of the litter. You had an older sister. Your father's favorite. He was grooming her to take over should anything happen to him. Your brothers, well…they were spoiled thugs. Nothing compared to the one you're seeing, just…when they grew up, they'd be the sort of trash you'd feel no sympathy for if they finally caught what was coming to them."

Sanji looked at him with a startled look. "I am detecting a lot of dislike in your tone."

"I'm not going to lie, brat. I hated that family. Bunch of snobbish, good for nothing, shit-don't-stink punks – they had the power, but they lacked people skills, which made them good assassins. Because they didn't care for others other than themselves, they could kill. But you…you were different. You were picked on a lot. They would bully you, and you would come into the kitchen because you knew they wouldn't dare cross the line there. They thought of us workers as slaves. Low class trash. And when you escaped there, it was…a safe zone. So, of course, that day when those men stormed the mansion, you went to the kitchen because you knew it would be safe.

"I wasn't about to die that day with this family. So I defended myself. I heard the kids screaming as they were killed, and thought that was it until you came in. I did hesitate because I just lost my family – I hadn't any idea how to raise one. And how could I? And what would happen if I took you? In my relationship, I didn't know a thing about kids, but my partner did. A thousand things crossed my mind at that moment, and none of them were the right things. But I eventually picked you up, and regretted every day because you've caused me hell like I've never felt, and I've never wanted to kill you more because of the shit you put me through, caring for you. So, when this old man dies, I would need you to lower me down into the dirt, so that you could let me down one last time."

"Old man….you suck at expressing yourself, and you suck at hiding the fact that you're just a big softie," Sanji snickered, elbowing him with a bright smile on his face.

"Once that faction realized they missed a Vinsmoke, I went back and dealt with them so that we'd have no trouble after settling in the States. And that was Hiluluk's wife's family, a growing faction of Mafia there. I knew this life would never leave me, so I formed this one, here, knowing that I didn't have a choice. It was who I am as a person. Once you're in, you can't ever leave it. You have to learn to live with it, within it, and control it on your own terms. Now that you're involved in it, fucking eggplant, you have to choose carefully. Know that every small step you take, it's not just you taking that step. You also have those you take in taking those steps with you."

'We'll be fine."

"Times are different now, I admit," Zeff said. "Everyone has…special abilities, now. There's these idiots in the syndicates with their powers, and there's your group with your little talents. By the way…I heard what you did to Spandem's building."

"I knew I couldn't get to Shachi by talk, alone."

"You can't always solve things with your feet, stupid."

"They gave him up right away."

"Which is very rare. You must've made quite an impression."

Sanji recalled Lucci's look of awe. But he didn't want to say anything about that. He shrugged.

"Not everyone is capable of destroying buildings without abilities, and the fact that you did – well, it made an impression. Just don't think it'll stop there. They'll expect you to keep impressing them. But you also made a very grave mistake. You showed a family of assassins just _exactly_ what your weakness is." Zeff frowned at the ceiling, looking at something far away from them while Sanji realized that this was true. But he didn't regret his actions. He had no doubt that Law was right, about them sending Shachi back in pieces.

"We'll be fine," Sanji insisted firmly.

Zeff exhaled heavily, smoothing the sheets along his thighs. "I have no doubt that you will be, but…don't hold yourself back. Never keep things to yourself. You don't want to feel that forever regret of knowing that you could've done something, but you talked yourself out of it. So don't do anything half assed. Put both cheeks into it."

Sanji took those words to heart. He nodded gravely to show that he understood. Then said low, "Law has never complained about the effort I put my cheeks into, so – "

"GET OUT OF HERE WITH THAT."

Sanji laughed, then leaned over to bite him in the shoulder before wrapping the man's head to him in a squeezing hug. He was off the bed in almost the same moment, cheerfully wishing him a 'Good night!' before shutting the door behind him. Zeff just sat there for some minutes, smiling to himself before he reached for the nightstand nearby. He turned on the light, found a cookbook in the drawer, and opened it up, to look at the only picture he had of his family. He smiled at it fondly before closing it up, and carefully setting it back.

: :

"First off, the forums are going crazy with complaints," Penguin said, pulling off his hat and setting it aside, fluffing up his black hair as Bepo turned up the heater so that the three of them could warm up. The bear had wandered the area out of sight, swimming in the lake to catch fish, but returned to provide night watch in case they were approached. He sat in the back seat, allowing Law to take the passenger side, Bepo looking at him in concern.

The countryside gave them twinkling stars up in the empty skies, with the city skyline lighting up only a sliver of it in the east. The darkness around them gave them fleeting glimpses of headlights as a car passed through on the main road. It was almost too dark. A pair of animal eyes flashed on them from the trees, illuminated by the faint lights of the house until headlights behind them alerted it to be a cat.

"All of them have mixed things about Spandem and the others taking over. Kid, Apoo and Bonney were put on probation status, right? Well, right after, Bonney began freaking out about being forcefully restrained. And then most of her girls were rounded up by law enforcement – most of them runaways, petty thugs, repeat offenders. Spandem told her she would have to find 'professional' girls to replace those ones; ones that take tests as requirement, that pay her a higher amount so she can give back to the community. She's pissed because those girls that were taken were her friends, I guess girls that felt they couldn't go back home. I don't know.

"Kid put a complete stop to his selling – disbanded his operations from the bottom up. Starting over, he said, by restructuring his business. He pulled his name from the seller's base, and people are complaining because there were orders up, and he hadn't fulfilled them. So they turned to Doflamingo, but Doflamingo is pissed because of the way he was treated at the meeting, so _he_ put a stop in sales. When two major weapons sellers put a stop to their operations, it causes a lot of people to react. So now they're sending complaints to the street and going to small town dealers, and these dealers are thinking they're top cash cow, now."

"Crocodile wants everything in writing. He wants contracts, he wants lawyers up front. He doesn't trust Spandem, and he doesn't want him anywhere near his casino. I think he agrees with Spandem's way of thinking, but he knows he's at the disadvantage. All the others are game to fit in. _And_ Spandem asked all of them for our known whereabouts. After Sanji left it, Arlong had to blow the rest of the place down."

"Why?"

"Total structural damage from the inside out. He targeted the load bearing walls from the bottom floor up to the fifth – enough to have it collapse partially from the inside. Senpai, he basically kicked the building down with his _bare feet_." Penguin put his phone away. "He asked about that one day. How buildings were made. So, of course I showed him to answer that question. Random at the time, but I never thought he'd actually put it to use."

"Hmm."

" _Oh_ , yeah, Bepo. Shachi put out some extras from the wedding dinner on the back porch while you were gone," Penguin told the bear, Bepo lighting up.

"I'll be right back," he said excitedly, awkwardly pushing out from the front seat. Once he closed the door, ambling carefully in the darkness to avoid being detected by the motion detector light, Penguin leaned over the bench seat to frown at Law.

"That guy got into your fucking head. You're being a fucking jerk. And I can say this because you're my friend."

"I didn't say you were mine," Law said stubbornly, looking out the window.

"I don't care what you think, ass. Whatever he said, you've been acting like a jerk this entire time. _Why_? Is it really worth coming off as a stupid shithead? Look, whatever happened, why are you taking it out on Sanji? The only reason why I'm saying this is because you don't handle competition very well. And you're letting it take over your common sense."

"'Competition', eh? It's not competing if there is already a victor."

"Oh, _shut up_. This is coming from a guy that didn't allow Bepo to talk to anyone else for years! Yeah, I get you're a child trapped in a man's body, but there is no excuse for you to be acting like this! If I'm guessing right, Lucci has a thing for Sanji, right? _Who cares_? What makes him different from Gin? From a passerby on the street?"

"Sanji confessed to having his attention returned."

Penguin exhaled low. To him, he'd never seen Sanji look at anyone but Law. The kid worshipped the other man, so to know this – but then he heard what Lucci was saying to Law in that fight, so to have Law confirm it…

Not that he was a professional at relationships himself, but Penguin felt that Law's anger was justified. Of course he'd take his side, but he wanted to be sure Law was angry for the right reasons. "Did you actually catch them in the act?"

" _No_ , but – "

"I get it, so _what_ if Sanji thinks he's cute, or whatever? Humans do! The only thing that separates people from appreciation to a total act is their actions! I can tell you for sure that he hasn't done anything you think he's done – "

"You don't know that – "

"The only reason why I'm jumping in the middle here, is because that guy now knows your weakness. How do you know he hadn't targeted Sanji because of you in the first place? This was his first step into the situation, and you let him play you! And it's so fucking _obvious_!"

"Stop yelling at me. You spit when you get excited."

"Just…you're making things worse, right now," Penguin said, drawing his hands down his face with exasperation. "Right now, you need to do something about this thing with the bakery. Will you fall in line with them – ?"

" _No_."

"He's setting you up. As your friend, I need to step in and remind you what's more important. Stop letting your insecurities rule you. And I hate to say it, but Sanji's only letting you bulldoze him because he's still not right in the head. So, there it is. You're not only an ass, you're an ass for bullying someone that can't fight back. Before Hiluluk took him, he would've never stood for this shit. After Hiluluk, he would've kicked you to the curb without a look back. But now, there's this weird period where even _he_ doesn't know what he's doing, and you're fucking it up.

"SO! As your friend, I'm asking you – which is easier? Giving Rob Lucci the edge, and letting him win, or accepting that Sanji is as human as the rest of us? You have him on this pedestal where he's not allowed to be wrong or do anything wrong, and that's not right, especially if he slips up and does something anybody else would have done if they were in his shoes."

Law frowned. He made to reply when Penguin hit him in the shoulder, the action causing pain like none other to shoot up his ruined arm, entering his spine, and causing the ends of his hair to lift. He grit his teeth as he reached to soothe the spot, fingers shaking.

" _Shh_. Bepo's back. Don't say anything, because I don't want him on your side and thinking you're right when you're not," Penguin said, both of them watching the polar bear walk back to the truck with a food tray of food.

"Who is the dictator here?" Law asked incredulously, looking at him.

"This is so great!" Bepo said as he climbed back in, setting the tray down in the middle of the seat. "Everyone is in bed, already. You guys should go back inside. It's a little chilly. Plus Shachi's crying in the living room because he thinks you guys are talking about him."

"We are! Little shit. Getting caught and all that. I'm going back inside," Penguin then said, opening the back door and hopping out, slamming it shut behind him.

"How is your arm, today?" Bepo asked Law curiously, chewing on a large chunk of duck breast. "Chopper has done an amazing job. I can tell. I can't smell anything rotten from it."

"Yeah, it's adequate. Listen, Bepo. Between me and you…do you think I'm an insecure person?"

"Is that a serious question, senpai?" Bepo asked cautiously, furrowing his brow. "Because I can never tell if you're messing with me."

"Question: if someone you love admits to physically admiring another, how should you feel?"

"Does it apply to a celebrity?"

" _No_ , Bepo. It does not. It applies to a living, breathing person that could be better than you."

"In what way?" Bepo asked, outraged. " _Who_ could be better than you?"

"You think so?"

"It bothers me to see you looking sad, senpai. When every one of them out in the city would love to be in your place! There's no one with your wit, and you're fast and cunning, and there's no one else as perfect as you are! There's no one as admired as you! All the women love you, and most men want to _be_ you!" Bepo declared.

"You are absolutely correct. I am individually stunning."

"No one tangles like you. Or thinks of all the best plans like you. And when it comes to hand to hand combat, no one fights dirtier than you."

"I work hard at it."

"Not a single bit of you is unkept, and you're well groomed. No one can complain when we emerge from a mess and you're still perfect while the rest of us look like shit."

"Who does he think he is, anyway? He can be replaced, just like that."

"Exactly! There's a whole _list_ of people that wish they were in Sanji's place! …wait, _what_?"

Law scowled at him, then opened the door. "We'll spend half a day here, then we're going home. This place gives me the creeps. There's a lot of old people here, smelling like prunes."

"You're going to be old, one day, too! And what did I just agree to?" Sullen, aware that he'd fallen into some sort of trap, Bepo finished eating. Then texted Penguin, "I'm sorry."

'BEAR! You're fired! I'm driving you to the fur coat store tomorrow!"


	11. Chapter 11

**MinnyFox: Yes, haha, it's supposed to be a funny fic full of angst and drama, and it has it's highs and lows - just like my moods : ( haha! Don't worry too much, these dorks straighten themselves out soon. Then the fic continues to atrocious levels before i, er, left it abruptly. And your reviews are absolutely amazing! Don't worry about 'errors' and all that - it's awesome that you can express your opinion and comments to me!**

 **Chapter Eleven**

The next morning, Sanji opened heavy eyes to catch sight of the ceiling. It took a few moments to remember where he was and why, but once he did, he looked over to check on the other man. After all the fuss about their beds being too close – ending up in Sanji moving it back to where it originally sat – he was surprised to see that, sometime in the night, Law had moved _his_ bed near his. Which gave him a little comfort; even if they were having troubles, the man felt the need to be close to him, anyway.

Sanji sat up, rubbing his eyes, blearily thinking about what he needed to do for breakfast, then remembered he didn't have to – this was Zeff's place. Zeff would do all that. But then he remembered the dishes that he hadn't finished, so he rose up from the bed, carefully making his way through the darkness to the bathroom, intending on taking a shower to wake up. He was itching for cigarettes, but he had no idea where Law had hidden them.

Afterward, he headed downstairs, where he turned on the overhead light near the sink and ran hot water to finish the dishes. As they soaked, he went in search of his cellphone. His screen lit immediately with messages from the Strawhats.

"Where are you?' Zoro had asked early in the morning. Sanji remembered belatedly that they were supposed to go for a walk in the park, so Zoro could continue showing him how to meditate. When he hadn't answered, Zoro had sent, 'Just call me later. I'm going to catch up on sleep.'

'It's over, I buried the evidence,' Robin had sent mysteriously. Then a few minutes later, 'Sorry, that was meant for someone else! : ).'

'Sanji! The name of that place where we saw that hot guy with the shirt!' Nami exclaimed. Then followed it up with a few phone calls and then shouting texts that he was cock blocking her.

Luffy's was several large bubbles of surprisingly long content, something the teen never really did. Sanji supposed he was feeling someway about 'losing his job', and he felt bad. He figured he should make it a point to go hang out with him once they returned home.

'I'm hungry. And Sabo said I couldn't drive to McDonald's anymore, because I eat everything before I come home, then leave again because I'm hungry, and he says it wastes gas, and I'm like, well, maybe I should walk! And he won't let me do that, too, because he says I take too long getting home, and who the hell is this guy to tell me how to live my life, eh, Sanji? I told him, you can't talk to me this way! And Ace was like, Yeah! And then we all fought because Sabo's been really controlling, lately, and once we realized it was only because Koala was mad at him, me and Ace went to go visit her because Ace told Sabo that he was going to the grocery store, and so Sabo let us go, and then we talked to Kaola, and Koala was just mad at us at first because it was three in the morning, and but it was only because Sabo wouldn't commit to her, so then when we told her we had to go back, she gave us her eggs, and Sabo asked why would we buy a dozen eggs with only four eggs in it, and now we can't go anywhere with the credit card, and Garp told us that we were grounded, and Ace and I were like, We're full grown men, now! It was great! So…I'm hungry. Did you make breakfast yet?'

'Never mind, that crazy old man came over and now we can't go anywhere, and I'm only texting because he can't find me in my special place.'

Sanji didn't know what to say to all that, but Ussop's seemed a little more reasonable. 'Hey, Sanji, does Chopper like cartoons? Have him watch this – I'm sure he'd like it. If he wants, he can come over and we can marathon a few seasons, and you can have some alone time.'

Jittery and short tempered from not having his cigarettes, Sanji sat down at the counter, jiggling his knees, scrolling through more messages. Notifications from his social media accounts – all of which he hadn't even bothered with since he'd 'come back' – drew his attention next, so when he pulled up Doflamingo's latest Instagram video, he watched a minute's worth of Doflamingo ranting and raving about how Chik-Fil-A shouldn't be closed on a Sunday. The comments below told him that his viewers agreed, but what really popped out was Kid's response: "Do your own frying from now on!"

To which Doflamingo replied: "how hard is it to cook, anyway?"

Almost three hours later, he posted another video with firetrucks in the background at their mansion, the fire chief frowning up at him as Doflamingo interviewed him. Sanji wondered where Corazon was, because he was usually in the background, looking sullen or trying to avoid Doffy's antics.

He found Kid's comment once more, then tapped on his icon – once it took him to his page, he saw that Kid had posted recent videos of his own. He and Bonney were shopping, and he would randomly approach scared teens and ask them what their favorite meme was. When they didn't answer or gave an unsatisfactory answer, Bonney would take their bag or an item of clothing from them. By the time they left the mall, she was carrying multiple bags and wearing several layers of clothes, laughing.

Sanji shook his head, annoyed at their antics. But he noticed that one of Kid's followers was Apoo, so once he tapped on his icon, venturing on his page, he saw that Apoo had been partying with a well known DJ at a club at Crocodile's casino. In one of the scenes, in the far background, he swore he saw Kaku and Spandem walking past an open doorway.

He knew Crocodile would not like those men being there. He would throw a fit if Zeff approached him without arranging a meeting, first. With how suspicious he was that other night, he wondered if this was an arranged thing, or the pair had just shown up anyway. He knew it was only a matter of time before Crocodile lost his head over something Spandem said, so he hoped Luffy was being patient.

He scrolled through his messages again, before returning to Instagram. He scrolled through his page – all of which were taken before Hiluluk, which meant he hadn't posted anything in literal years – then reflected on each photo. With each photo came a different memory. He remembered going to the Snack Hut for the first time with his friends, Gin eager to show off his uncle's place, then getting into a fight with Pearl over the food. He'd taken pictures of the park where he'd walked with Zoro and Mihawk, so they could meditate. Pictures of the aquarium and his friends. School pictures with his friends. Dishes from the restaurant. The city scape. All of these once important things that he felt he needed to share with the world. Little by little, different memories popped up in response to these, and he realized just how important it was to save an image.

He flicked out of there and opened up his phone's photo album. He hadn't taken many pictures lately – only homework reminders, notes on the white board, a flyer for a fresh farmer's market nearby. Looking around, he scanned the kitchen and the nearby dining room for something to take a picture of, and found nothing standing out. So he grabbed his coat from the rack near the hallway, and went outside. The air was chilly, and it was still dark. But he went down to the lakeside and settled for a picture of the changing sky colors over the lake. When he figured out how to post the thing on Instagram, he was surprised at how many likes he received just seconds later.

"That's a nice picture, Sanji," Bepo told him from over his shoulder, startling him so badly that he dropped his phone with a surprised shout. " _Sorry_. I thought you heard me."

"It's okay. I guess it's true what Law says about you," Sanji said, picking up his phone and wiping it off. "That you're his best ninja."

"Aw, I'm sure he doesn't mean that!" Bepo said with a blush.

Sanji tapped on the screen again, handing him the phone so he could take it at a different angle. "Take a picture of us, Bepo."

Once Bepo did, he also took a picture of Sanji standing against the lake, Sanji posing automatically with a cheery smile. Giving him the phone back, Sanji had to snicker as he looked at the photos. He liked the one of Bepo in his winter coat and scarf – literally things that he didn't need to wear, being that he was a polar bear - and his red face and tired smile, both of them looking out of place for the area.

"I haven't used this thing in ages," he confessed, fiddling with filters, not knowing the difference. He decided to use the one of himself against the lake, because putting Bepo out there wasn't a good idea, considering he was Law's 'best ninja'.

"It's good to see you using it again! I understand that you remember things better when you look at these things."

"I suppose…" Both of them looked up when they saw Law looking at them crankily from the porch, tugging on a jacket, sword in mouth. Bepo ran over to assist as Sanji hurried after him, hoping he could get his cigarettes back.

"Morning, senpai! Aren't we looking wide awake and fresh today? It's a brand new day, and we're capable of brand new things!" Bepo said cheerfully, his voice overly loud in the still air. He held his sword off to the side and adjusted his jacket so that Law could push his good arm through it, the other dangling over his shoulder.

"Good morning," Sanji greeted him cautiously, reaching out to make contact with him, but Law pulled out of his reach. Annoyed, Sanji turned away to look back at his phone, not wanting to bother with his attitude this morning. He received a few comments on his picture, so he walked over to a porch chair and flopped into it, opening up the app to look at the comments while Bepo gave Law a report of last night's activities.

From 'nice pic!' to Doflamingo's 'are we cracking out early, today?' – which Sanji did not understand, considering that the man was up at the same time – they were indication that people paid attention to him. Some were 'welcome back!' comments made from people he didn't even recognize; some were flirty, some outright asked if he'd been dead these past few years. Rude comments were ignored, but the others were a nice sign that he was not forgotten.

Over a hundred likes since the time he posted it, and he shook his head incredulously. He couldn't imagine being that type of person, anymore, where a hundred people could take notice of him and enjoy that he was there.

'Did Law take this picture? : ( : ( : ( ; ( ' came Kid's comment.

'fuck off,' he had to reply, automatically steamed.

Then he lowered his phone, a bit shamed by his reaction and the sudden understanding that Law's attitude towards him was _just_. If Sanji could be so utterly annoyed at another man's attention towards Law in the form of a comment, then the fact that another had told on him for his attraction to him was several times worse. Guilt ate at his stomach, again. He would just have to endure and wait until Law decided he was over it, and with his stubborn streak, Sanji had no idea when that would happen.

'Goddamn, who shit in your Wheaties?' Kid replied almost instantly.

'Your desperation,' Sanji replied back, frowning.

'After I rescued your stupid deer for you! Next time I see you, we're having words!'

'Wow, aren't you two up way too early?' Ace commented. 'GM Sanji! Come make me breakfast! I'm still in bed! :P'

'Kid! You've been up all night! I'll bring you some cookies,' commented AnonymousEgg1234. 'unlock your door.'

'Welcome back, Sanji!' Nami commented with smiley faces. 'I'm going to tag you in my next post.'

'this picture sucks,' Gin commented. 'you're not naked enough.'

'are you ^ serious?' asked Pluton-Babe 235.

'GB! I have a task for you!' Doflamingo commented. 'And you can't say 'no'! I won't allow it!'

'Tell Law I miss him! don't let your jealousy stand in the way!' Kid commented.

'wow, kid, that's seriously desperate,' Hogback commented. 'how embarrassing, especially on a social media platform such as this one.'

'Why the hell do all you weirdos follow me?' Sanji asked, tagging all of them.

'So I can kill you!' BigLikeARock exclaimed – Sanji had no idea who that was, considering the user was private and there were no pictures. He blocked that person based on this principle.

'because I haven't seen Law in 53 days, fourteen hours and nine minutes!'

'Gin, you too? I guess I'm not that surprised.'

'so I can plot my next move based on your location!'

'It's good to keep track of my enemies.'

'Robin, I know that's you.'

'Sorry, I thought I was commenting on someone else's picture. :D'

'This is seriously sad,' MountainWind000 commented, 'all these badass MFrs commenting and threatening each other over a selfie lake picture on Instagram.'

'it's the only way to reach each other if certain people are avoiding other certain people.'

'Calling each other out on soc med is the only way to go! That way, you can't avoid it! you're doing it in front of a bunch of people, so you have to act! LISTEN TO MY MIXTAPE located in the link in my bio, IF I FAIL AT THIS, I WONT WITH THIS SICCCCC BEAT' BadEDMforLYFE commented.

'in this day and age, if you can't hang on social media, then wtf are you doing with your life?' Doflamingo commented. 'GB. Hurry up. My home. Stat. Or Stan gets Cora's wrath.'

'Too late,' C0rawsaan said, including a picture of a gun, a coffin, and a cigarette.

'dic pics, noaw!' 69BonneyBabe69 said, along with an eggplant emoji.

"This is overwhelming," Sanji said aloud, looking up from his phone. In the span of only a few minutes, this entire thread had turned into something else. His phone kept vibrating with incoming notifications, and Law looked over at him with a frown. Sanji held it out to him, and Law took it, Bepo looking over his shoulder.

Then Law gave him an exasperated look. "First off, you're now in the public eye. Posting shit like this when we're trying to hide out isn't helping any. Those looking for us can guess this location, and come looking for us. Second, why are you friends with these people?"

"I haven't played with that application since I came back! I don't know what I'm doing, okay? I just thought taking pictures would be…helpful with me remembering things."

"We're not staying here long, anyway. Tell Zeff what you did, and what to expect. Then pack your shit. We're going back home before any of them can show up here."

"Senpai, please don't be so mean first thing in the morning," Bepo admonished.

" _Fine_ ," Sanji muttered, glaring at Law before stalking off, slamming the door behind him.

Law looked down at his phone, at the continuing conversations slash threats on Sanji's picture. Passing it to Bepo, he dictated a few things, Bepo making a face as he followed the order. Once the message registered to everyone on that thread, Sanji's phone blew up again with responses.

'LAW! You bastard! How dare you! In public!' Doflamingo shouted in all-caps.

'controlling jerk. Let's hope *you do before I find you,' Gin responded, along with skull emojis.

'You're such an ass, Law,' Nami responded. 'has sanji-babe been holding out lately, is that why your boxer-shorts are in a wad?'

'threatening me with a good time? : )' Robin commented.

'WTF? I can't imagine Blackleg talking like this, this must be his jailer,' SuperBigandBlue1 commented.

'you have to SHARE!' Ace commented, middle finger emoji up. 'you can't keep him to yourself!'

'Give him freedom! Let him be an individual!' DragonClaw007 said. 'you're so rude. You must not have a lot of things to do.'

'Shit, you've just reminded me how much I hate you,' Kid commented. 'God, I hate you so hard. You brutal bastard. Make your own account! PLEASE'

"Send us a dick pic!' 69BonneyBabe69 shouted in all caps, along with a sweating emoji and eggplant.

"I'm done. Delete that picture, that'll erase all the contents," Law said, walking back into the house as Bepo did as he'd ordered, shaking his large head with exasperation. Telling all the people commenting on Sanji's picture to 'suck a wart infested dick and die a flaming death in moving traffic on your way to your mom's house' wasn't a very nice thing to say.

Zeff was finishing up the dishes Sanji had been soaking in the sink, and when Sanji confessed to what he did, Zeff shrugged. "You'll be long gone by the time I get certain visitors. If they want to stay and chat, I'll welcome them. My guests should be gone by then. Go home and think about what I'd told you."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Get some rest, it looks like you've been up all night. You'd better not be stressing over what was said."

"I'm not. I just…wish things were a little different."

"Sanji. Call me if you need anything. There's always room here for you and that mutt if you need to come back," Zeff told him sternly, wiping his hands on a paper towel. "If things grow worse, absolutely do not hesitate to come here. Or call me to come get you. There's no shame in coming home if things don't work out."

Sanji pulled his lips between his teeth, holding back all the denials and responses that he wanted to let fly – but he nodded instead, not knowing just how much better Zeff felt at that moment for that acknowledgement. He went upstairs to wake up Chopper and the other two. By the time all four of them came back downstairs, three of them bleary eyed and stumbling sleepily, complaining about the early hour, Zeff had made all six of them breakfast sandwiches for their trip back.

"Thank you for your hospitality!" Penguin and Shachi said in unison, bowing with sandwiches in hand.

"Thank you, Mr Redleg," Chopper said timidly, holding onto Sanji's leg.

"Thanks, old man. I'll let you know when we get there," Sanji said to him.

"I'll handle whoever comes this way. Don't worry about it," Zeff told him, reaching out to ruffle his hair affectionately. As they all tromped out the door with their bags, Chopper struggling to carry his suitcase, he followed them out.

He looked at Law, who was giving Sanji back his phone, looking foul tempered. When Sanji made to say something to him, he walked away, and Zeff reddened, intending on walking over to slap some sense into the man over what a child he was acting like. But he knew he'd come off in a similar manner. So he remained on the porch, and all of them piled into the truck. The polar bear waved at him meekly, then climbed into the truck before Zeff could return the gesture.

Law took a few steps towards him, just close enough to be heard. "Thank you for allowing us to stay here. I apologize for the inconveniences caused if anybody shows up."

"You could apologize for your damn attitude towards my grandson, who is nothing but appreciative and loving of your stupid ass. I don't know why."

"I don't know why, either," he heard Law mutter before climbing into the passenger side seat, Bepo maneuvering the truck away.

Back at home, Chopper lugged his suitcase to his room, while Sanji followed Law to the bedroom. He waited for Law to put down his sword, then reached over to help him out of his jacket. Chopper wanted to look it over, so after Law sat down, Sanji went to the bathroom and drew him a bath. Then returned to him, looking to assist in any other way that the other man needed.

The heavy silence between them made him uncomfortable.

"Can I have my cigarettes, please?" he asked.

"I'm still not happy," Law told him.

"What can I do to make you happy? For fuck's sake."

"Do you feel miserable?"

" _Yes_."

"I don't think you feel miserable enough."

Sanji glared at him, arms crossed tightly over his chest. "Please don't be this way. I'm tired of this. Can we go back to being friends, again?"

"I don't want to be friends with you."

"Then what can I do? What do I have to do to make you get over this?"

"There's nothing you can do."

Closing his eyes with exasperation, Sanji tried not to think of the times when they were kids, and Law was throwing a sullen fit in his room. But it was hard not to compare that time with this one. "Your attitude is just…please lose the attitude."

Law studied him for a few moments, then narrowed his eyes. "I don't have an attitude."

"Then what is it if it's not attitude?"

"It's a perception problem with you."

Incredulously, Sanji gaped at him. "How is this a 'perception problem' when you're acting like this? Everyone around us can agree that you have a fucking attitude!"

Law frowned as it appeared Sanji did not remember that he himself had uttered these same words to Law years ago. "Don't talk to me, then."

"I'm supposed to ignore you, then? I can't do that! I _live_ with you!"

"Then don't live with me."

"You're such a fucking child. Don't say that, you're just saying spiteful things because you're hurt. I regret saying anything to you."

" _You_ just regret getting caught."

Sanji sighed and made to walk away, to busy himself with cleaning, or starting food prep for lunch. "You're not being fair."

"How is this _not_ being fair?" Law asked him, standing up and walking after him. "You know what's not fair? Is the dedication and loyalty I had towards you, all these years! Not even counting the ones we were together, it was before all that!"

Sanji had nothing to say to that. He looked down at his fingers, picking at his nails as guilt ate at his insides.

"When I thought this was going to be a forever thing, _this_ happens. People kept telling me to pull back, to watch it because you're young – "

" _Don't say it_! I'm tired of hearing that!"

" – but I didn't listen to them, because I believed in you! But now, you tell me not to make big decisions, to not buy a house, because _you're_ not sure if you'll even be around!"

"That's not what I meant! I don't know what I mean, anymore!"

"Then I find out you're playing paddy cake with a guy that's trying to intimidate us all into following their rules - ! How the _fuck_ am I not supposed to feel any other way than being pissed?"

"…I'm so sorry. _I'm so sorry_ , I don't know what to say, or how to fix it."

"Then don't tell me I need to drop my fucking attitude!"

"I'm _sorry_. Look, I don't know what to do. At least tell me what to do, how do I fix this?"

"I don't know. But I don't need you in my face, telling me what I can't feel, or what I _should_ be doing or how the fuck I should think about it. I don't even know what I want, right now. I want to leave you, but then I don't want to. I want to give this up because everyone is fucking right. For sure, I want you to feel the way that I do – "

" _I do_! And you can't just leave me because of this! Not after everything we've been through! Don't be such a stupid jerk!"

"Quit calling me names!"

"Don't throw around that stupid reasoning for breaking up! Because we're not! All over something only you made bigger with your goddamn imagination! _Law_! it's unacceptable! What the fuck is the entire point of all your struggles to get me where I am today if you're just going to walk away from it like a fucktard?"

"Looking at you pisses me off, and _not_ seeing you pisses me off."

With exasperation, Sanji said, "Then decide on what you want to do! Because not everyone should have to suffer this stupid attitude of yours!"

"I just told you, I don't know!"

"Then figure it out! And don't even _think_ of breaking up with me, because I won't let you. You can treat me like shit all you want, but I won't let you break up with me after everything you've done for me. I refuse to let you go because of your stupid insecurities."

"Stop telling me what to do and how to do it when _you_ caused this problem in the first fucking place!"

"You're such a baby, I didn't do anything to actually deserve this! All I confessed to was admiring another man's looks, and nothing else. That's _all_. That's like looking at someone's picture – it means nothing. It means _absolutely nothing_. It doesn't mean I'm going to race off with him or be unfaithful – _he_ touched _me_. He said these things to rile you up. And I don't even know what to say to fix it because, _yes_ , they happened! I was only asking you for help and understanding because I'm all mixed up! For you to turn it around like I did some sort of crime – it's not fair! You're being fucking ridiculous!"

"How would you feel if you were in my shoes? How would _you_ feel if I came up to you, and told you I liked, for example, Kid's ass in those leather pants he always wears?"

Sanji glared at him. "Very specific, considering what sort of a hard on he has for you. You went right for his name. Then, fine. I understand. All right? Now, shut up about it. You're being unreasonable."

"How is this 'unreasonable'?"

"Get over it!"

"Did you really just tell me to 'get over it'? Considering that you have to deal with that smug fuck because of your position?"

" _What do you want me to do, goddamn it_?"

Admittedly, Law didn't know what he wanted Sanji to do. He had been so wrapped up in his hurt that he lost track of what needed to be solved in order for him to get through this. It was surprising that it hit him this hard when Sanji had asked him repeatedly for an answer previously. The fact that he was just now focused on it made him feel stupid. Penguin was right – he let this consume him when there were other things he should have been focused on.

He turned away from him and returned to the room, and he heard Sanji give a snarl of frustration, stalking after him.

" _I don't know_. Fuck off," he said tightly, walking into the bathroom and slamming the door behind him, locking it.

He stood there for several moments, frustrated. He was angry because he felt betrayed. He felt hurt. He felt scared that Sanji would leave him. Feeling scared because it felt like everyone was against them being together. Feeling certain that he was holding this man back. Knowing he didn't want to go on alone without him, after being without him, after admitting that he needed to be with him. All these things, and he couldn't say any of it. He felt it wouldn't come out right.

He felt he had to strike out as maliciously as he did yesterday because he had to protect himself. He felt he had to be as intimidating and angry as possible to keep Sanji close, because wasn't that what men did to keep what they wanted close to them? Snarling at anything that threatened to take away their closest treasure?

Maybe he hadn't grown up. But that was the thing – Sanji _knew_ this, and he stayed with Law despite it. He looked beyond it. He said all the wonderful things that Law just could not imagine coming from anyone else. Sanji _looked_ at him, really saw Law for everything he was, rather than the physical object that everyone else did. And Law felt safe and happy and comfortable, and to have it taken away…he felt he _had_ to be this way.

But Sanji said he'd fix it. _How_? How should he fix this?

In all the chaos of Law's feelings, he didn't even know what he wanted from Sanji at this point. Not to go. Not to think these things. Not to cave in to the others' demands. Not to accept the social pressure from those that left comments like they did on Instagram this morning. Not to accept that man's goddamn advances.

So what could he say to Sanji to fix it?

With a frustrated growl, he kicked off his shoes, then fumbled with his pants. He could climb out of those, but his shirt was going to give him problems. He paused in mid-shuffle, then glared at his reflection in the mirror. The shirt he had on was a simple tee, but Penguin had cut deep on that side to leave it as a muscle shirt, the other sleeve clinging to his shoulder and arm like a glove. He removed the sling, but the pain it caused as it forced his ruined arm to support its own weight was an uncomfortable sensation that made him cringe. He leaned back first against the counter, reaching for the collar of his shirt, then tugging upward. It took him a few moments of shuffling, twisting and cursing until he was able to toss it off.

"Let me help you," he heard Sanji growl from the other side of the door, obviously standing there.

" _Fuck off_!" Law snapped at him, flicking a shoe against the door.

He heard an answering thud as Sanji kicked the door himself, then silence.

Law then glared down at his pants, then looked at the bath. It was warm and inviting, and he knew he could handle it. But he should've let Bepo stay over, so the bear could wash his hair. Maybe he didn't need his hair washed, then. Fuck it. He wasn't going to impress anybody.

He looked at the bandages, then curled those fingers into a light fist. It took some effect, some gut clenching pain racing up and down the nerve endings there. He could feel the foreign weight and substance of the staples, the feel of unnatural 'silence' there. As if his arm wasn't his own.

"How are you going to get dressed, asshole?"

Law froze for a moment, then glowered at his reflection. He looked at the door again, and kicked it. "Get out of here! I need some fucking space!"

"Jerk! I was just trying to help!"

"I don't want your goddamn help!"

"Fine! You figure it out!"

He heard the bedroom door slam shut, shaking the walls. With a huff, he shuffled out of his pants and underwear, kicking them to the side. Then he approached the tub, and carefully climbed in. Sanji had put in a rubber mat that looked like goddamn moss, and while it felt amazing on his feet, it wasn't comfortable on his ass. All prickly and unnatural, so when he sat down on it, he winced and shifted about until he could rip the thing out and toss it on the floor. Then he sat there, considering the position he had to sit in. he couldn't lean back – it'd get his bandages wet. But it was uncomfortable just sitting there, when he really wanted a moment to think about things.

He grabbed the soap from the nearby dish, and watched it slip out of his hand, falling into the water. Growling, he shifted around until he could find it, then used it awkwardly on himself. It took a bunch of shuffling around and twisting, but once he felt somewhat satisfied, he tossed it onto the floor. Then sat there for some time, until the water grew cold, and his skin turned pruney. He still wasn't sure how to answer Sanji's question.

"Are you dead?" Sanji asked against the door, and Law reached behind him and threw one of the shampoo bottles at it. " _Jerk_!"

When he heard the bedroom door slam, Law glared at the soapy water around him. He found his answer as he sat there in silence. He knew what he wanted; he just wasn't sure how to say it. He leaned against the tub edge and managed to push himself up to his feet with an awkward movement, then grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself, needing to use both hands to do so. After the pain throbbed to a slow ebb of discomfort, he dripped his way to the door and opened it, looking out to see if Sanji was out there.

He saw his clothes laid out on the bed – underwear, his favorite joggers, a muscle shirt, socks that doubled as slippers. With a heavy frown, he dressed carefully, struggling with each item. By the time he'd pulled on his socks – why the fuck had he never considered how hard it was putting a sock on with one hand - the door opened again, and he looked back with exasperation, rubbing the stinging pain from his arm after he'd used it to get everything on.

"You did it. Good job. I'm so proud of you," Sanji said sarcastically, coming around the bed to glare at him. Then he crouched in front of him, pulled on his left sock properly, and then automatically rolled up the hems of his joggers to rest right above his calf, where Law liked it. He just sat there, watching as Sanji fussed over the material with a glowering expression – not at the task, but having this attitude just for him. Then he stood up and grabbed his towel, reaching in to dry his hair.

Law sputtered and pushed back from him, snatching it from him. "I'm not a fucking child!"

"You're dripping all over your clothes! You're going to catch a fucking cold!"

"Goddamn it, I can do it by myself!"

Sanji straightened up and glared at him, obviously waiting to see him do this. Out of pure spite, Law settled the towel on his head and rubbed – it was a rather pathetic sight. He threw the towel at him in exasperation as Sanji struggled not to laugh at him, catching the material. He went and put it back in the bathroom, cleaned up the mess Law had made – meanwhile, Law just glared at him the entire time.

When he returned to him, he had a hairdryer in hand, intending on drying his hair that way. Law kicked it away from him, then regretted it, bending over to clutch his toes while Sanji retrieved the device and put it away, trying not to laugh.

"I just want you to love me," Law then said truthfully. "And not leave me. That's all I want you to do."

From the bathroom, Sanji gave a harsh exhale, a combination that might've been a chuckle or a breath of relief. He shut the cupboard door, where he'd put the hairdryer away. He returned to him with an upset expression, as if unsure what sort of face to make. "You _stupid_ man. Of course I - !"

"But I feel that you don't. I feel that you'll leave once you have the chance, when you realize that everyone was right. That you can have better than me. Because, in actuality, there _is_ a lot better than me out there. There are men that will treat you better and can give you everything that you want – "

"I don't want all that - !"

" – who won't feel the way I do if you even accept a look from another man. Who doesn't have a screwed up family, or a fucked up personality – when I think about it, I have the personality of an ass, and – "

"And you're _now_ realizing it?"

" –who won't terrorize family pets with – "

"I'm not a pet!" Chopper cried tearfully, obviously unable to help but eavesdrop from his room nearby.

Sanji stooped to hug him tightly around the neck, giving a low sound of distress. He couldn't help but let his emotions speak for him, feeling Law touch him, then wrap his own arm around his shoulders, both of them leaning on each other heavily. He ended up sitting next to him on the bed, nearly on his lap, mindful of his other arm.

"Stupid stupid _stupid_ man," Sanji said into his shoulder, sniffling, feeling uncontrollable tears wet Law's shirt. His fingers clenched into the material, scraping against his skin. He couldn't get close enough, feeling utterly relieved for this moment. "You're so stupid. Don't do this again. It hurts when you're angry at me."

"Could you not touch me with your eye sweat? It's really gross. I just said some of the most difficult things I could say, and you're dripping on me with your fluids."

Sanji bit his collarbone without lifting his head, sniffling, wiping his eyes on Law's shirt as he gave him a disgusted look. "You don't complain about my fluids when we're - !"

"I'm being serious, and all you can talk about is sex."

Sanji squeezed him tightly, wrapping his legs around his waist, his arms wrapping around his neck. "I forgive you for all the shitty things you said to me, yesterday."

With a shamed frown, Law did turn to face him, supporting himself with his good arm as Sanji laid on his back, not letting him go. He leaned down, unable to look Sanji in the eye at that moment – pressing his forehead against his wet cheek. "I apologize for that. That was…I was only…well, there's nothing to excuse it. It was a lot of things, and not any of it acceptable. I don't think that you should."

"Kiss me, jerk. You have some making up to do," Sanji murmured against his skin, guiding his mouth to his, and Law went with it, thinking that it was a little too easy to fix the mess that had been made because of things. He didn't think that it _was_ fixed, but there was time to make up for it. Kissing Sanji, he felt a rush of relief hit him, because Sanji was so accepting and forgiving and he didn't hold back from expressing himself to him.

He kissed him back with desperate pressure, just mashing his mouth with his, then forced his lips open with a bite on his lip. Invaded his mouth with his tongue, tasting his teeth, the inside of his cheeks, and then seeking out his tongue. He took that, too, sucking on it, adjusting his body over his so that Sanji had to take the full weight of him. His good hand went to his face to wipe away the moisture there, then to his hair, pulling on it, his forearm resting alongside his head.

He felt Sanji's hands on him, curled up to his shoulders as he fitted himself against him, knees on his waist, heels resting atop of his ass. Law kissed every bit of his mouth that he could, tightening his grip on his hair then forcing him to look away, so he could move down the length of his cheek. Smelling him –some mixture of smoky cream and sunshine – he reached his ear. Took his earlobe into his mouth and felt his dick harden beneath him as Sanji gave a low noise, pushing up against him. Sanji's hands left his hair and went to his waist, to pull his hips in close as his legs tightened around him.

Caught up in the feel of him, wanting badly to be close to him again, Law said low, "I want to fuck you. I want to be in you."

" _Haah_ …I need you, too," Sanji replied, pushing up against him, seeking friction to soothe the physical want that had become suddenly urgent, all part of the making up process.

" _Ew_. Really? And how are you going to accomplish anything with that arm?" Chopper asked from the edge of the bed, frowning at them both with his hands on his hips. "This is not acceptable activity. You'll need to wait _at least_ a week before you engage in any fornication, or else you'll rip the stitches!"

Sanji shoved Law off him with a mortified expression, hands covering his tented pants. Law fell off the bed with the force Sanji used, causing a curse to leave him, both Chopper and Sanji wincing.

: :

That afternoon, Kaku frowned at his iPad, meandering through all the social media accounts of the syndicates, surprised at just how active they were, today. After this morning's fiasco on Sanji's Instagram account, he'd decided to spend the time creeping through the other's just to see what they were up to. Lucci was glaring out the window with Hattori nestled into his hair, and Jabra was snoring loudly on the couch bed nearby. Califa was playing on her laptop, and Lucci didn't know why they had to be in here with him.

"Why is it that almost everyone has an account? It astounds me how much of a follower base all of them have," Kaku muttered, skimming his way through Luffy's pictures, but he took sloppy pictures of food and bugs – one picture looked suspiciously like a spider lounging in weed, but maybe it was moss.

"It's the best way to reach their customers," Hattori said. " _Duh_."

"Oh, now, let's not be so surly. Admittedly, that is a great idea. But not all of them have this power. The younger generation uses it like a weapon, much like Doflamingo. If you look at his account, it's ridiculously rich – his fan base is insane. He's practically a celebrity, and all because he does this stupid stuff. It's no wonder he's so reveled. Kids love him."

"Which is straight up retarded."

"Someone's in a mood," Califa commented, pushing her glasses up, looking over. "How are you, today, Rob? Feeling a little more put together?"

"I should be able to walk, soon," Lucci told her.

"The doctors are confident that you'll be fine in another week. Spandem feels he should keep you out for a little longer than that."

"I'll kill him if he does."

"Consider your wellbeing, man," Kaku said gently. "That move sliced through your insides. I'm surprised the team was able to put you back together."

"It was only a light scratch."

" _Shut up_ ," both Califa and Kaku said together.

"How did the meeting go between yourself and Crocodile?" Lucci asked him, finding the remote to the bed, and pressing a button. As it allowed him to sit up with some effort, Kaku logged out of his account. Then logged into Lucci's before handing it to him.

"Not good. He was pissed that we'd showed up without arranging a meeting, first. Not that he has anything to hide, he's just a real prickly guy. He felt we were intruding into his personal business. His casino does amazing with profits, and he really has nothing to hide. So…we left after the first show of temper, just to keep the peace."

" _Pussies_ ," Lucci sneered, before looking down at the iPad. Once he found what he was looking for, setting the notifications alert for all of Sanji's accounts, he then started looking through the Strawhats' accounts. Every one of them was up to date – save for Zoro, whose last post was a Thanksgiving picture showing off Nami's bracelet and the mess Luffy made with his mash potatoes, and Sanji's, since Law deleted his first picture in years this morning – and none of them mentioned their activities for today. He tossed it aside, a little frustrated. He knew he'd almost taken off Law's arm – he'd felt the snap of bone, tore away flesh and muscle – but there was no mention of the man anywhere.

He wanted to know just how bad off he was compared to him. But he was comfortable admitting that Law being one-armed in their next battle was Lucci's advantage. This time, he'd take off his head.

 _Not_ because of the man Law was lucky enough to have, but because it was only business. If he could help eliminate that group altogether, there would be perfect harmony with only those involved with the syndicate world. Nothing to interfere or throw off or invade with total freedom and ability. He might be Corazon's son, but rules were made for a reason, and Law kept breaking them, causing unsettled actions within the syndicates because of his selfish actions. Admittedly, while they were mostly rules broken for Sanji's wellbeing, they were _still rules being broken_ and it permitted continued lawlessness.

"Crocodile is actually a scary man when he's pissed," Kaku admitted. "I watch Doflamingo's videos with him all the time, and I _still_ don't see how he manages to escape that man's wrath."

"Doflamingo is an idiot, and those tend to last longer than an average man. Once I am mended, I will make the rounds necessary. You shouldn't be too soft on these men. They fail to follow rules, they need an iron fist to keep them in check."

"This isn't about ruling a kingdom or whatever, Lucci. This is about making sure people are cooperative with each other. We all need to get along. Like Zeff did."

Lucci frowned, Hattori moving to a more comfortable position on the bed, feathers flurrying about. "I don't know how he did it," he said, more to himself.

"Age is a factor. They respected him because of it. He was more involved in this world before he even came to the states, so they trusted him to know how their world works. He didn't try to change anybody – he just expected them to follow a rule, and if they didn't, he got rid of them without negotiation."

"Isn't it ironic? I thought about this more than once. That the same family Zeff watched eliminated for their potential in power was the inspiration behind us?"

"Not exactly," Califa said, drawing her chair closer to the bed, shifting the laptop onto the edge of the bed. Kaku saw that she'd captured security screen shots of Shachi and Penguin in an effort to get their faces on record. She was only able to get a glimpse of Penguin's vague profile and Shachi's hair covered face that really gave them nothing solid. She was running what she could with their pictures to others in an image identifying database, and all the hits she received were from Japanese actors.

"Zeff hadn't meant it to be this way. We are not the Vinsmokes. They were a different breed from us. Their snobbish lust for power is not something that we share. We want things to be fair and equal, run correctly. I saw the very same records as you did, Rob. We're nothing like them."

"Imagine if they were still alive today," Lucci said. "What they'd bring to this world. I'm pretty sure they'd be their own crime family. Bigger than us."

"You're _obsessed_ with them."

"Not in the way that you think. I'm more of the challenge. Right now, as it is, we're above everyone in terms of power and control. No one is truly safe if we chose to invade their space. They could fight us, but only if they knew we were there. How many operations have we completed where our subjects hadn't even known we were there until we'd killed them?"

"All of them. None of these people even recognized us when they saw us at the meeting," Kaku said. "But – "

"Blackleg mentioned a 'Hiluluk', so I looked into that name. It was the name of a woman whose family was tied into the faction that killed the Vinsmokes years ago. A quack doctor with direct ties to the Vinsmokes. He was also involved with the White Rabbit and the Tea Party."

"I don't think I've heard that name, before. Was he involved with the syndicates?"

"No. I pulled up his files, and he was an asylum director for this town a few hours away. Which made sense, given Blackleg's disappearance. Hiluluk's wife was one of the persons that Zeff slaughtered to keep them from bothering the only survivor of the Vinsmoke family, so of course, Hiluluk had some reservations about it. Whatever he did to Blackleg to mess up his head caused him to be this person, today. I found it interesting that whatever hallucinogen he forced him to ingest to ruin his mind that way was also connected with the Vinsmoke's abilities out in the field. If there is such ability where the users are rendered invincible to perform a job, what other sort of feats were they capable of?"

"You're not interested in power for yourself, Rob," Kaku pointed out. "Because you're the worst one out of all of us."

"I'm not interested in that sort of power. I'm not interested in false actions. Just…if there is still that sort of power running around today, subdued and contained, what is the potential in it if it were released?"

Kaku studied him for a bit. "You're _obsessed_."

"We saw a little of it the other day. What other person do you know that could tear down a building with his goddamn _feet_? Other than Roronoa's ability to cut through almost anything?"

"And…so? What about it?"

"Rob's thinking with his pee-pee again," Jabra said, sitting up with a loud yawn. "That's what this is about. I've seen him drooling in public whenever Blackleg's around. Which is pretty gross, considering that he's not even – "

Hattori attacked him, and Jabra cried out, waving his arms around frantically as feathers fluttered everywhere. Rob gave him a patient look. "Hattori. _Naughty_."

Kaku rolled his eyes. "C'mon."

"Look. Fine. So I might be personally interested – "

"'Might' isn't the word we're using, here, because it's wrong," Califa said firmly.

" _Fine_. Yes. He's my type. I want him. For a night. Or two. Maybe six."

"There we go, the truth comes out," Califa commented, looking proud of him.

"But the rest of it is true, too. I am interested in the other aspects of it. But, it's not to say that – "

"Instead of doing this whole denial thing, why don't you do this normally, like normal humans?" Kaku asked him with immense exasperation. "We're already aware of how you operate. Instead of going to war with them like you normally would, why don't you just…I don't know, send flowers, instead?"

"Kaku, this is wrong," Califa admonished. "Blackleg is happily taken. We shouldn't encourage Rob like this."

Kaku gave her a skeptical look. "Were you looking at the same post I was this morning? We all have to admit, Law isn't the most…functional human being. He's everything wrong about a human being when it comes to manners and – "

"And how's he different from Lucci?" Jabra asked suspiciously, spitting out feathers. "Because I'm pretty sure you just described him, too."

Kaku didn't have an answer, sweating once Lucci frowned at him for not having a response.

"Uh…"

"Rob has his good points. He just needs the right person to bring them out," Califa said with a firm nod. To Lucci, she said, "Ask him on a date. And make him bring Shachi with him. We can double."

"You're like, _ten feet tall_ compared to Shachi," Kaku said. "And not you, too! What is with you people and liking people you know you can't have?"

"We're goddamn _assassins_ , goddamn it! We don't have the opportunity to choose normal when it comes to dates!" Jabra snapped at him, standing dramatically. "Why do you think I go after waitresses and strippers? Because that's all that will hang out with me!"

"Liar! That's just your preference! You like throwing money around!"

"Well, I do, but it also makes me feel bad ass, too." Wiping off one palm, as if making it rain, Jabra said, "I'll support you, you, _you_ , your three kids…and you, _dance_ , mama, dance for me, work for your college education..."

"You're _disgusting_."

"I like small men. It makes me feel powerful," Califa added with a shrug. Cradling her arms to her chest, she said, "I can hold them to me like babies and love them and take care of them and make _them_ call _me_ 'mama' – "

"Why am I just learning this about you people?" Kaku cried in horror.

"Back to me, now," Lucci interrupted. "What were you saying about dating 'normally'?"

"I don't want to participate in this conversation, anymore," Kaku muttered, looking forlorn.

"Why are you asking the virgin, anyway?" Jabra asked. "Look, if you want to date someone 'normal', let's plan it. First off, there's this thing called 'woo-ing'. Are you aware of it?"

"That's stalking them on social media and avoiding hitting 'Like' for a post they'd put up three years ago," Califa said brightly.

"That's following them on the streets while not letting them know you're watching them – just so you can learn what they're like without scaring them," Lucci said with an intense expression.

"That's romancing them through humorous emails and tagging them on memes on their Facebook pages, disguised as someone non-threatening," Kaku commented.

Jabra worked his jaw as he considered their answers, rubbing his chin. "Wow. We're all stupid."

"I think it's just you," Lucci told him.

"Look! Okay! If you want to do this the right way, you have to convince Blackleg that leaving Law is the right thing to do. How are you going to do that?"

"Kill him."

"Take off his other arm."

"Deport him back to wherever Corazon found him."

" _NO_!" Jabra shouted impatiently. "We have to do this the normal way! Healthy competition. It doesn't involve killing, strangulation, maiming, deporting, slandering. It involves good old flower deliveries. Candle light dinners. Flavored lube and underwear for those unpleasant moments."

"There it is…"

" _What_? C'mon, that's great advice!"

"Do men use dental dams?" Califa asked. "For certain areas?"

"… _What_."

"But I like the smell of him. He's very clean," Lucci said.

"It involves phone conversations! Actual conversation! Like, 'Hi. What's up? What's your interests? What's your goals for life? Want to exchange Netflix passwords?' That sort of thing. Not anything threatening…"

" _I'm watching you_ is nice, because it's assuring him that he isn't alone."

" _I like your post from January_ is a good one, too, because it means you're interested in his life."

"Oh, wow, NO! Disregard that!"

"This is difficult when none of us knows how to 'woo'," Hattori said with a scratch of his head.

"We might need some help."

"Call Spandem."

"Are you serious? 'Spandem'? The guy that wears floral prints and doesn't bother fixing his hair? The one that uses for lunch dates? And GoFish? And Tinder? Swipe right."

"Then who do we ask?"

Kaku frowned. "We're going to need some outside help. Califa."

"Right away," she said, shutting her laptop and then marching off.

Jabra reached out and patted Lucci's knee. "We will help you woo Blackleg properly. But first, you've got to trust us. And no more trying to kill Law, because it's only making them closer. Right now, as we speak, Blackleg is probably babying the hell out of him. That draws in the feminine instinct, you know. Wanting to care for another person."

"I don't think he's feminine at all, to be honest," Kaku said. "I don't even know him that well. He rarely speaks in public. And he might dress…interesting…but I don't see him using feminine movements. Then again, he does hold that little mutant to him like he would with a kid, but a lot of men do that with their children."

"But I bet he's the girl in the relationship, just from the way he let Law fight for him that one day. And he doesn't even fight that much – the others step in for him."

"Who knows? Maybe Law likes being secretly dominated, and Blackleg's the aggressor in the bedroom."

"No, he doesn't," Lucci assured him.

"How do you know? Don't tell me, you've walked in – "

"I'm not that crass. I'd probably just end up killing them both out of spiteful jealousy."

"There's a lot of killing going on here. Maybe we should watch Nicholas Sparks movies, again."

"I only say that because of the way he fights. He's very aggressive, cunning, but he's very self-conscious of himself. Physical contact isn't something he's wild about. Meanwhile, when Blackleg's fighting, he'll use any part of his body for contact that allows him up close and personal for his use. His physical comfort indicates that he's – "

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, fighting styles matter."

"I just think that if you're trying to get his attention, you should do it in another way," Kaku said. "The last guy you chased…well…that didn't end up well."

"In the end, his weakness was his own undoing."

"In the _end_ , it was your damn excitement that killed him. _Literally_."

"Ah, yeah, there was that…"

"SO! Let's say this," Jabra interrupted, hitting Lucci's shin with one palm. "In my experience, the first thing I want these girls to notice about me is my looks. Am I manly enough? Do I carry myself with confidence? Are these hairs on fleek?"

"I'm sure I don't have that problem," Lucci said. "He's noticed me."

"Then _part_ of the battle is won! Second thing. What about yourself appeals to him?"

Hattori shrugged. Lucci shrugged.

Jabra studied him for a few moments, Kaku tilting his head as they looked at him with thoughtful consideration. "It's probably not your hair. Law's hair is short."

"Your facial hair is on fleek, though."

"Stop saying 'on fleek'."

"Let's return to this at a different time. Your personality…"

Jabra and Kaku looked at each other, then said in unison, "Moving on."

Lucci frowned at them. "What's wrong with my personality?"

Jabra laughed hysterically while Kaku wrinkled his forehead.

"Are you seriously asking that of us? Your friends? Your comrades? The ones that don't judge you to your face?"

"Or the ones that will tell you to your face that your personality sucks!" Jabra chuckled. "It's like taking up a conversation with a goddamn rabid animal. 'Why does nobody love me?' Because you fucking _kill_ them, is why!"

Lucci frowned slightly.

"And besides, I'm really hesitant on doing this. He's with someone. Homewrecking isn't cool," Kaku said, tapping his index fingers together with anxious action.

"It's not homewrecking if Lucci's got a foot in the door. After all, Law got _so_ pissed when Lucci told him he did a little touchy-touchy and Blackleg was up to it. Maybe they have an open relationship? They do that, nowadays. What's wrong with these kids? What's _wrong with monogamy_?" Jabra cried, unable to understand it – totally ignoring what he was contributing to. Kaku frowned at him with judgment.

"Besides, why should someone so young be tied down so soon?" Lucci asked with a slight pout.

"How old _is_ he?" Jabra asked suddenly. "He's legal, right? _At least_? Jesus, aren't you older than Law?"

"This is another discomfort I feel. With your experience, why pick someone that young?" Kaku asked.

"It doesn't matter."

"But your personalities probably won't even – "

"It wasn't his personality that caught my eye. Idiot."

"Step back, Kaku. This is _my_ area of expertise!" Jabra said, standing up and pushing his chair noisily away from Lucci's bed.

"Gladly," Kaku mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown.

"Standard wooing is important, even if you do intend on it being a one night stand! If you want to woo correctly, you must get him to look at you. Pay attention to you. _Notice_ you. Instead of trying to kill his boyfriend, kill his issues with loyalty. Kill his faithfulness. Stab him. Hit him with your car. That way, he can't go anywhere. He'll _have_ to notice you – "

"That is _horrible_ advice!" Kaku cried incredulously. "Listen to yourself!"

"I am. It's a pretty amazing plan. If this guy is as awesome as you say he is, he'll keep himself from dying. Essentially. But at least he'll notice Rob."

"I won't stab vital areas," Lucci assured Kaku. "Just enough to make him bleed out to a point where he has to depend on my quick medical attention, forcing him to like me."

"NO STABBING! You want him to like you, right?"

Lucci thought about it. "I suppose that's the goal. I'm not looking for a relationship. I just want – "

"Stay out of this, Kaku. Let the men speak," Jabra said firmly, hands on hips.

"I _am_ a man."

"Either way, I just…I think if he notices me, then I'm halfway there. I just need to convince him that I am a good candidate for very rough, hot, violent – "

" _Stop_!" they both cried.

" – combat. What? What did you think I was going to say?"

"Nothing," Kaku said nervously.

"My way hasn't been working very well. After visiting his place that he shares with Law, it'll be difficult to convince him otherwise. The pictures on the walls suggest a very loving relationship. And their families are intermingled. It'll be a struggle to convince him to look my way." Lucci steepled his hands together, resting his chin atop of his fingers. "But I'm sure with some waterboarding and psychological warfare, he'll realize that his relationship is a farce, and will want to turn to me for comfort, considering that I will be the only one to administer this slightly tilted level of pain and pleasure."

Kaku and Jabra thought about it for a few moments. Hattori preened, then fluttered, waddling over Lucci's legs to nestle close to his thigh. He looked down at him, petting him gently. Then he looked up.

"That little mutant he cares for. He's very soft towards him. If I can worm my way in through him, I'm sure I'll succeed."

"Brilliant!"

"Great idea!"

"Don't kill it."

" _Please_ don't eat it. If he cares for it, eating it is out of the question."

" _Rude_ ," Lucci muttered.

"I hope you all are discussing murder in here," Spandem said, strolling in with jacket over his arm. "Where's Califa? And Blueno? We have a meeting, right now."

"Murdering someone's _ass_!"

"What? Gross." Spandem frowned at Jabra while he was given a pair of dark looks from his comrades. "I need an update on your recovery, Lucci. Will you be ready to stand and look intimidating for Friday's meeting with Doflamingo?"

"Most certainly."

"Excellent."

"Boss, hypothetically…how would you woo someone?" Kaku asked curiously.

Spandem snorted. "Swipe right and hope they don't ditch you when they agree to meet up. Then show off my money. My Rolex helps, too. Oh, and brag about my yacht. Bitches love yachts."

Jabra pointed at him, looking at Lucci. "This guy has it. Maybe you should listen to his advice."

"Lucci, the important thing to remember is that money talks!" Spandem said grandly. "Show it off! You work hard for it!"

"I haven't been paid in quite awhile," Lucci reminded him darkly.

The awkward silence in the room made Hattori coo softly.

"Well, you have a nice house, right? Show off your maintained yards! Show off those rose bushes you like to keep. Bitches love roses. In fact, show off your kitchen! Take pictures of that boring place of yours! Women love seeing houses, and how men live," Spandem said.

"Spandem…do you pay attention to our lives?" Jabra asked curiously.

"No. Quite honestly, no. Why? Should I?"

"YES."

"Did I miss something?"

"About a _thousand_ different plot points!"

"Never mind," Lucci said. "I'll do this myself."

"Are you sure?" Spandem asked. "I'm sure I can provide some type of assistance."

"I think you've given him plenty of good advice," Kaku said cautiously. "Right, Lucci?"

"No."

"Well, then, good luck," Spandem said with a huff. "Can't say I didn't try. Now…what…what were you guys talking about in the first place?"

"Never mind. I'm over it."

With a look of frustration, Spandem's face grew red. Then he cleared his throat and said, "Let's commence with the meeting, then."

"I'm tired. I need to rest. All this excitement has left me feeling terribly exhausted," Lucci said, finding the remote to his bed and resetting the level.

"Okay. Well. You two, come along. We'll have Califa and Blueno meet us at Applebee's. I'm starved."

"Would you like anything?" Kaku asked Lucci.

Lucci waved him off, looking out the window with a thoughtful expression, Hattori settling on his shoulder. The three left the room, Jabra muttering, "Yeah, _right_ , like any of that stuff will help him, anyway."

"Let's be positive! You just don't know until you try, right?"

"What are you guys talking about? _Tell_ me!"

: :

Sanji shivered, feeling it from his mid torso to his head as his spoon hesitated in mid-air from Law's open mouth. Chopper was just looking at them with disgust, sure that Law wasn't _that_ helpless, in that he couldn't feed himself. Ever since they made up, the pair kept _touching_ each other, and even at the dinner table, over lunch, Sanji was sitting in his lap and feeding him tomato soup like the man couldn't do it himself. For some reason, this was acceptable behavior between them.

"Just got the heebie-jeebies," he said, pulling his spoon back as Law moved to bite down on it. A moment later, he sneezed soundly over Law's head.

"You got your snot juice all over me!" Law growled with a look of disgust, as Sanji patted his sneeze-germs from that wild black fluff.

"Someone might've been talking about me, again," Sanji said, stuffing the spoon into his mouth without looking. He then asked, "Where's my phone? Did I forget to do something, today?"

"Weren't we supposed to meet Zoro today? To meditate?" Chopper asked, looking excited about it.

"Ah, _right_ , yeah, and I promised Luffy I'd go meet with him, too. But I'd…rather not if you can't go anywhere," Sanji then said, looking at Law's arm with concern.

"It'll be fine. I'm feeling too tired to do anything, anyway," Law said, hand creeping over Sanji's ass, sliding into his pants pocket. Sanji swatted that hand off him as he gave Chopper an embarrassed look, but the reindeer was too focused on his food to even notice. "But not _too_ tired when it comes to certain things."

"Chopper, Ussop said he had a cartoon marathon he wanted to share with you," Sanji remembered brightly.

"That's great! I'd love to see what he has!" Chopper said excitedly.

"How convenient!" Law exclaimed hand up to immediately teleport him there when Sanji slapped it down, sliding off his lap.

"I'll run him over there, then check in with Zoro," Sanji said, ripping of his apron, then hurrying off to find his phone, eager to get the reindeer off to the sitter's.

Once he was gone, Chopper looked at Law suspiciously, the man frowning down at his bowl, as if he couldn't feed himself.

"No strenuous activity!" he advised firmly. "You'll pop your stitches. Then it'll take even longer for you to heal!"

"I promise, _he'll_ do all the work."

"It's okay to help out with an occasional chore, just don't push it."

"I'll restrain myself."

"Also, I hate to say it, but refrain from any sexual activity while you're on these meds. You can make Sanji sick if you both are exchanging body fluids. What I'm using is meant for healing grave injury – a healthy person can get sick from the extra protein, and it might cause discomfort in certain orifices. It's fine on you, but if he were to receive, he might become ill with an uncomfortable infection."

Law stared at him with rising venom, mouth bracketing with tension. "…I need a new throw rug, and you're absolutely perfect for the shitter!"

" _Stop_!"

"You'll taste delicious in the fucking stewpot!"

"Sanji! He's threatening to cook me again!" Chopper hollered, then snapped at him, "Just use a condom, you bastard!"

Law shrugged, figuring Sanji could pick some up on his way back from Ussop's. Then he figured he might as well as go anyway, because Sanji might get embarrassed with the task and not get the right kind. Annoyed at the hassle it took just to plot their damn sex life, he stabbed his spoon into his tomato soup, hoping nothing else came up today.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Target was so bright and inviting. Sanji walked in, as always, in awe of the superstore's presentation. The bright lights illuminated the red walls, the red cash stands, and the happy faces of models showing off the latest Target fashion. He walked in and was riveted by the choices ahead of him. To his left was the electronics section, blasting wares with DVDs, books, TVs on the wall with cheerful music on a loop. Ahead of him was the greeting cards, kids' clothes. To the left was the cashier stands with cheery cashiers and restless customers. To the far left was the customer service station with tired workers taking in customer complaints. The floors were a shiny white, and the carts a dull red with squeaky tires. The clearance aisles called for him.

"Don't get distracted! _Condoms_. _Check out_ ," Law had told him before he'd left. "Stay away from those goddamn clearance aisles. There's nothing there for you."

 _Right_ , Sanji thought, closing his fingers around the twenties he had in his pants pocket. With a look of determination, he walked past the clearance aisles, head down. He was determined to get to the aisle across the store.

Law had been ready to go with him, but after some convincing – meaning that he was vulnerable with his arm in a healing state - he'd reluctantly stayed home.

As Sanji looked up to avoid bumping into a mom with three squalling children under the age of five, he caught sight of the men's clothing section. There was a mannequin wearing an outfit he could see Law wearing, so he took a step in that direction, holding his cash tightly.

"It'll cost you $12.49. A little more, a little less. More lube, and that'll be around 12.00. How much is that altogether?"

"24.49, goddamn it. What is this, a pop quiz?"

Law had frowned at him. "Why are you blushing?"

"Because - !

"Are you sure you can - ?"

"I can do this! Goddamn it, I'm twenty years old, I can buy fucking condoms! Er…what kind, again?"

When Law told him the exact title, Sanji could feel his cheeks reddening. He thought of the time he and Nami did the deed - his first time – and he'd used a condom he'd gotten from his high school SHARE program. It definitely wasn't the brand Law was saying.

"I'll text you the brand so you won't forget. You're right, there's nothing wrong with it. You're a grown adult. So why are you blushing?"

"I'm not! Damn."

"Sanji, you need to make sure they're lubricated," Chopper told him, overhearing the conversation. "Don't play around with the adventure types."

"OH MY GOD," Sanji groaned, embarrassed that _Chopper_ was advising him.

"It needs to be the exact brand I texted you. No generic versions, no substitutions! I don't use anything else," Law told him.

"When was the last time _you_ used a condom?" Sanji asked him. "Because in all our time together, we've _never_ \- "

"Three days before I came back and you turned me gay. I had tested clean after that, though. Obviously."

"I didn't turn _you_ gay! _You're_ the one that came over and attacked me! I was fine being straight with Nami!"

"Pft. _Yeah_. Which was why you - "

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"You can't 'turn' each other gay," Chopper said suspiciously. "You both were from the start."

" _Thank_ you, Chopper!"

"Bad Momo! To the kennel! Out! _Out_!"

" _I'll kill you_!"

Sanji looked at his phone, feeling his face heat up. He'd never bought condoms, before. What was he supposed to do with them? Just grab them and head to the check out with that and lube? What if he approached one, and it was a small old woman? Or a gum-snapping teenager? He looked around anxiously, nail to his teeth. He should get something else with the purchase, just in case. He veered off course, towards the cleanser aisles. Maybe he needed more Windex –

He turned around and continued towards the condoms with a growl. He had to do this. Just get the condoms and go – Law was waiting for him. This was probably the only time they could do this, today.

Once he found the aisle, he looked at his phone again, finding the text and then scanning the boxes with anxious eyes. He spotted the grey box and reached for it, hearing a sharp clearing of a man's throat at the end of the aisle. Red faced with a guilty expression, he whirled around, seeing Sabo standing there with a full cart of food and toilet paper.

"I thought that was you, marching all determined," Sabo said. He looked at the shelves with a frown, and Sanji couldn't help but feel self-conscious at that moment. Luffy's older brother knew that he was _having sex_. Sex with a man. Sex with his boyfriend. Sanji was having a lot of sex and going through condoms like crazy. He felt utterly mortified. "Huh."

"What are you doing here?" Sanji asked, moving away from the shelves, thoroughly embarrassed. Judged by a guy wearing an Adidas tracksuit, and neon pink basketball shoes that looked like some sort of futuristic moonboot.

Sabo moved to answer when a mannish bellow sounded out from across the store.

"MARCO!"

"POLO!"

"MARRRCO!"

"POLOOOOO!"

"My brothers and I ran out of a few essentials," he muttered, red faced as various customers looked around themselves with a start.

Sanji could not bear the thought of Luffy finding him in the condom aisle. Or Ace, for that matter. Nervously, he ran a hand through his hair, then took a few steps out of the aisle with women's menstrual products. Sabo frowned at him.

"Why do you look so embarrassed picking up condoms?" he asked, Sanji's face flushing with renewed strength.

"I'm not!"

"You're seriously red. Is this your first time picking up condoms?"

"Stop saying - ! _Yes_. Okay? Yes. This is…my…we use them all the time, but -! He -! This is – not like I'm embarrassed, or anything, this is responsible, the – well, I just…"

"It's not like you're a brand new virgin after all these years with him, right? Weren't you with him since high school?"

"Why are you - ? _Yes_. Okay? But he – "

"Condoms are especially important for gay men."

"Sh - ! O-of _course_ , but - ! I'm not - ! We don't - use them – _all_ \- !"

"You don't _use them all_ , or you don't use them _at all_? Sanji, if you can't even talk about condoms with a straight face, how does this assure me that you're mature enough to even _talk_ about sex? If you can't talk about sex, then you shouldn't be _having_ sex. If you and your boyfriend are in a monogamous relationship with each other, then there should be no embarrassment about buying condoms!" Sabo lectured, causing others to look over curiously. Sanji wanted to die.

"I'm not embarrassed, it's just, we don't use them, but this is one special time where – "

"At least assure me you've been responsible about it starting out."

When Sanji didn't answer fast enough, momentarily distracted by an older man that looked at them suspiciously, Sabo frowned tightly. "This is not acceptable. Like I tell my brothers all the time, if they're not being responsible when it comes to safe sex, their dicks are going to rot off and they're going to have children far earlier than they planned, and they're not even the types to settle down with committing to a freaking _movie_! How can they take care of children if they can't even take care of themselves? I know this doesn't apply to gay men, being that you can't get each other pregnant, but the STD rate is high because - !"

"Sabo! Please! Not now!" Sanji said in embarrassment, feeling like a kid as Sabo continued to lecture him, nonplussed by the people listening in.

"I just feel that if no one has told you to be safe, then I feel that you should not be engaging in unsafe sex practices with a man that's more experienced than you."

"We're both – our – each other's first - !"

"HAH!" Sabo barked out. "That guy is _way_ more experienced than he's letting you on, and don't let him lie to you like that! Listen, I will contact a clinic for you, and you go get yourself tested out immediately! What if you have something and don't even know it? So you know what syphilis is? And don't forget the dreaded 'A' word, but then again, with these times, that's not that – not exactly a cure, but there is medicine to use to hold off from death."

" _Oh my god_ …"

"Listen, I've been meaning to talk to you," Sabo said, Luffy yelling once more, somewhere near the back of the store. One of the employees with a radio began moving in that direction, muttering Luffy's full name. "Luffy said you still hadn't applied for your driver's license, just yet. Why?"

Wiping his face with embarrassment, Sanji answered with hesitation, "I…After that scene with Doffy, I can't…I don't feel as confident."

"So? With us, you did pretty well. What's holding you back?"

"MARCO!"

" _Who's_ holding you back?" Sabo corrected himself.

"No one. Just me," Sanji said, frowning at the implication, brushing his hair from his face as his skin felt hot and sweaty, feeling as if Sabo were judging him. How he could ignore his brothers while Sanji felt the overwhelming urge to scream at them 'to knock it off and act like goddamn normal human men' was rather annoying.

"PPPOOLO!"

"Sanji, listen. I feel that you're a good guy. A little misplaced, but…that boyfriend of yours worries me. Don't you think he's in with the wrong sort of crowd? I strongly feel you're being taken advantage of because you can't seem to say 'no', or - "

"Look here – Law might seem like an ass upon first meeting him, but – that's just for everyone else to say. He makes me happy. He's very good to me."

"He doesn't handle competition very well, and he seems to keep you on a tight leash! I just feel, as your friend, that you should be able to wander out on your own so you can discover yourself as an individual. If you're always part of a pair, you don't know what you're quite capable of, just yet!"

"SABO! DOES LUFFY NEED NEW SOCKS AGAIN? DON'T FORGET, HE USED ALL THE LOTION, TOO!"

"OH MY GOD, ACE! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT IN A _STORE_?"

Sabo reddened and looked down, thinning his lips.

"Whose kids are those?" a woman asked another with a frown.

"Bad mannered."

"Can you imagine what their home looks like?"

"Look, I don't need to hear this from a 'friend'," Sanji said firmly. "All my life, I'd wanted to be married right out of high school. The only thing that changed was…my choice of partner. I'm happy. I don't want to be without him."

"See, this is what I'm talking about. This devotion of yours. How do you know it's even real? What if it's a form of Stockholm Syndrome?" Sabo asked. "As soon as you were found, Zeff left you in the care of this man, and you obviously weren't in the right frame of mind at that time! You probably felt you couldn't be anything other than dependent on someone that had his chance at manipulating you through such a sensitive period."

"That is a rather bold allegation," Sanji said tightly. "I find it offensive."

"But it's true! I'm surprise you're even here by yourself!"

"So, you sit around thinking of this shit?"

"Now you're getting offensed, and that's not what I intended to have happen," Sabo said, frowning. "No one else has said it, have they?"

"Because it's a stupid accusation! It's bullshit! 'Stockholm syndrome'? I can leave any time I want!"

"So, why haven't you?"

"Why would I leave someone I clearly love? I'm in the condom aisle for him!"

"Well…"

"MARCO!" Ace yelled directly in Sabo's ear, causing him to jerk away. Not even moments later, Luffy careened into him from out of no where, causing the blond to slam into a nearby aisle, sending Tampax and Kotex flying in all directions. Sanji walked away hastily because he wasn't about to be caught up in that mess, and Ace followed him quickly after throwing an armload of cereals into the cart.

"Hi, Sanji, it's nice seeing you," Ace said, jumping onto his back, and having Sanji stumble towards the cold food aisle, nearly lying out over the cheese. "What are you doing in this part of town?"

"Seeing…Ussop…you're heavy!"

"Listen, Sanji, whatever Sabo was telling you, don't let it get to you. He's feeling uptight because he and Koala are having problems! She wants a ring, and he wants freedom, and so he's putting all his personal feelings into your situation. So when he talks about a hostage situation, he's really just expressing his own feelings about stuff," Ace said, not helping him as Sanji rose shakily to his feet.

"Okay."

"Sanji! Where's Law?" Luffy asked, racing over to him, leaving Sabo to pick up the mess.

"Home!"

"Why? He's usually with you."

"I ran Chopper to Ussop's for some sort of cartoon marathon."

Luffy's eyes widened. He looked excited. Then he turned and raced off, Sabo and Ace looking after him with dismay, Ace finally jumping off Sanji's back.

"Luffy! Damn it!" Sabo cursed, pushing the cart after him. he looked back at Sanji, saying, "I'll message you!"

"Don't bother," Sanji snapped, irritated by his suggestion.

"Aw, don't be that way," Ace said, patting his cheek. " _Smile_. Sabo means well. He's just a little short tempered today because we didn't tell him we'd run out of toilet paper."

"Uh…"

"I'll catch you later – oh!" Ace then paused in mid step, reaching for his phone. He took a selfie of the pair of them, then said, "I'm tagging you on IG, now, since you're active again."

"That's fine."

Ace hurried after Sabo, a few red shirted employees walking after him just to make sure they made it to the cash registers.

Satisfied that he was in the clear, Sanji made his way back to the aisle, and lingered, just to make sure that the three were gone. He scowled over Sabo's words, but he was right – someone needed to say them, and Sanji shouldn't be embarrassed about talking about sex, and maybe he did need to hear that because he honestly hadn't discussed or even remembered asking Law about being tested in all the time they were together.

He took his phone out and texted Law the reasoning for running late, and grabbed the grey box, and the bottle of lube. But then he hesitated, because he noticed a difference in prices between that brand and the generic one. Then he noticed the prices on the others in the aisle, and wondered why they were spending nearly twelve dollars on a water based lube when they could be buying a nine dollar one that –

Which reminded him, they were out of plant food. With the prices of the items in hand, he added up the amount, including the sales tax that Law stressed on him, then thought about the succulents that were wilting in the corner of their living room. Did they need plant food, being that they were a form of cacti?

His phone buzzed. 'COME HOME NOW.'

 _Yes_. He shouldn't be distracted. Sanji hurried away from the aisle, thinking about how much plant food cost – where was that aisle, anyway? As he passed by the men's clothing, he looked up at the mannequin that wore a sweater set and jeans that Law liked to wear, and he paused in front of it. He wished he had money of his own to buy Law things. The man hated shopping for himself. He settled for anything that looked comfortable, and Sanji thought that if he put more effort into himself, he'd look quite stunning –

But Law received a lot of looks from passerby, anyway. Would Sanji be comfortable with that, if Law put that extra effort into himself? He made to walk away, but one of the sweaters sitting on a stand nearby boasted a Clearance tag. And it was in Law's size. He reached for it, touching the material. It was a dark navy blue, and it had thin yellow stripes across the chest, and a contrasting yellow sleeve cuff – it would look good with Law's dark jeans and those black shoes he liked wearing. Not those ugly desert boots –

"That doesn't look your style," came the gruff voice next to him, and Sanji looked up with horror at Crocodile frowning down at the sweater, surrounded by minions with expressionless faces. Sanji wanted to die.

"Look, Blackleg, now that we've run into each other, I just wanted to ask – why was it so easy for the Strawhats to give up their position? It makes me suspicious that, for such a vocal group as yourselves, you'd give up so easily in the face of the bakery's intentions. Are you guys that big of a group of pussies, or is there something going on that we should know about?"

"Uh," Sanji uttered, switching his condoms from one hand to another, wondering why Crocodile was even in a Target – didn't he pass Luffy and the others coming in? The man looked entirely out of place. Standing over eight feet tall in his black fur coat with a stylish paisley shirt, black vest and black slacks – he looked like he should've been wandering the aisles of a Nordstorm or overseas shop. "Well – "

"You told Strawhat something that convinced him to back off," Crocodile added, a severe expression to his scarred face. "Daz. Grab me that thing I came in here, for."

As the right hand man hurried off to do so, he waited for Sanji to answer him.

"I told him to, because…well, we've run into those guys a few times, and I knew it'd only be a matter of time before they ended up pissing everyone off," Sanji said slowly.

"So, you're telling me that this will give you guys an 'in' with us, once that sort of thing happens? That sort of overconfidence is bullshit. So far, it's working out well. I don't like the way they tend to barge in and make demands, but I've stood my ground," Crocodile said, a Target employee walking up to him meekly, pointing out that he couldn't smoke inside the store. Just one look from the syndicate head had the woman hurrying away, signaling for the security guard that suddenly decided to patrol outside, instead.

"Yes. Well…it won't last that long," Sanji said, feeling his phone buzz. "Excuse me, I need to – "

"Zeff essentially formed that group, so they're hand picked, right?"

"He chose the head baker, whom, in turn, picked his agents. They started out early from a young age, and replaced the ones that were in term. Right now, as we speak, they're training younger ones to take over these guys when they're done."

"So they're brainwashed early," Crocodile said, dropping ashes on a nearby t-shirt display, much to the horror of the workers standing there, gaping up at him. "Smart."

"Really? How smart is it when they're only instructed to see black and white, and not the grey?"

"Fuck the grey. There's no need for anarchy."

"Says the guy that comes into Target and makes it a point to ignore the rules."

Crocodile eyed him dangerously for a few moments, gripping his cigar with his teeth as his minions shifted about nervously. Then his eyes dropped to Sanji's hand.

"Are those condoms?"

"…Yes."

Frowning at him, clearly upset with his choice of priorities, Crocodile crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I guess some things are more important than others, huh?"

"What are you so fucking upset about? Of _course_ I'm going to make certain things important in my private life! Who the hell are you to judge me for it, you shitty old man? At least I'm getting some! When was the last time you got any?"

"Hmf," Crocodile uttered snobbishly, turning and walking off, his minions looking around nervously as they followed him.

"The _nerve_ of that guy," Sanji muttered, heading for the check out stand, pulling out his cellphone to text Law an update. He then hesitated, because all the people at the check out stands were either old ladies with extravagant makeup, or teens that smiled nervously. He looked down at his intended purchases, and wondered why it was so embarrassing. Not like they could judge him – everyone was either out and proud, or having sex.

He headed towards the register with an impatient looking manager-type, figuring this would go fast and quick. Then caught sight of the self check-out line, which made things infinitely easier. He veered in that direction when he caught sight of the Clearance aisle again, and spotted a brightly decorated set of cereal bowls. He took a few steps in that direction, then forced himself back to the register, gripping the box of condoms tightly. He had just put down his items and touched the screen at the prompt when the doors to the right blasted open, causing people to scream in alarm.

Half of the glass door landed nearby, and as he turned, he saw a bunch of similarly dressed punks armed to the teeth walking in, shouting for Crocodile. Seeing that they were putting a bunch of people into danger, he dropped away from the register, and strode over with a growl of impatience. There was only about ten of them, a nameless gang intending on making a name for themselves by approaching Crocodile in such a way.

He made short work of them – it took only a few kicks, a short display of acrobatics that sent most of them flying back out the doors they'd destroyed, but once he had the leader in hand, most of the store had already evacuated.

"Where did you buy these guns?" he asked, the bloodied expression of the man revealing a sputter of outrage once he saw who he'd been taken out by.

"They were….we found them. They were supposed to go to Kid, but he obviously didn't want them."

Sanji remembered hearing something along those lines, that Kid had stopped selling to restructure his business, losing orders in the process. Using his foot to kick away the man's gun in hand, he dragged him towards the door and tossed him out. Then went back to the pile that had been left behind when he'd kicked them all into submission. Using his foot to create a pile, he took a picture of it, then sent a text. After that, he made his way back to the self-serve register, and tapped the screen.

"Blackleg."

" _No_ ," Sanji moaned, leaning over the register with dismay.

"I couldn't help but notice that Ace had tagged you in this location as he uploaded his selfie on Instagram," Califa said, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I have come in peace. Earlier today, my colleagues and I were discussing matters of the heart with each other, and – "

" _What_."

" – And my mission was to retrieve either items of useful action to assist us with knowing what the true meaning of 'woo-ing' meant, or finding a person with significant 'woo-ing' abilities, and…to be honest, I have to confess. I can't find Shachi anywhere."

Sanji straightened up and looked at her incredulously. " _What_?"

She blushed a little, looking expensive in a Yves St. Laurent black shift dress with an exposed back, side slide skirt – her heels were too high. "I admit, that little face of his sends my heart into a pitter patter. I had hoped to find him as I searched for answers, but I have no idea where to start. He is utterly mysterious, and I felt that if I approached him with this dilemma, I might have a way in with him, to show that we don't have to be enemies."

"You…you find _Shachi_ …you…you _like_ Shachi…? But you're – and he's – "

"I'm so glad I ran into you. He mentioned something about a master's degree, so I went to the university first, but to no avail."

"I'm afraid I can't…but I'm sure he'd like knowing that a woman has expressed interest in him. I'll tell him."

"Don't mention that it's me!" she said quickly, reaching out to grab his arms. "Don't say that it's me! I don't want him scared off. I know I can be…quite intimidating."

"But…are you sure…? It's _Shachi_. Hair to here, really whiny…"

"Yes. I understand that Penguin might be the one that gets more attention than he, but while I find him equally as beautiful and mysterious and wonderfully evasive, I'm more taken by Shachi. He's so _cute_. He looks like the type that needs a firm hand to pinch his cheeks and spank - "

"Please stop. I'm dying."

She cleared her throat as Sanji laughed heartily, then both of them jerked at the sound of a snarling curse from the front of the store. Men in metal shirts and band hoodies marched in, gathering the weaponry piled in the corner. Kid stood there, seething, and once he caught sight of the pair of them, he marched over.

Sanji wanted to cry, looking at his condoms with utter dejection before stuffing them into a plastic bag because he didn't want Kid saying anything about them.

"For all that shit you were talking on Instagram, you're really fucking nervy, you know that?" Kid snapped at him, looming over him menacingly as Califa looked at him cautiously. He looked at her, then frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Eustass."

"It's KID, goddamn it! I don't like it when people use my first name! There's only one person I allow to use that name, and it's definitely not you! Where is he?" Kid then asked, looking around as Sanji rolled his eyes.

"Get your shit, take care of your products, and move on," he said, snatching the bag and intending on walking away.

"Look," Kid said, snatching the back of his shirt and forcing him back between them, Califa looking at this with a frown. "I forgive you. You found my shipment I somehow lost. So I'll give you points for that. But I don't appreciate you calling me out on social media and - !"

"I didn't call you out! And you touch me again, and I'll break that goddamn hand!"

"Well, well, well, aren't you hot stuff, all fiery and shit?" Kid asked, looking at him with a glare, then looking upward with thought.

"Enough of this, Eustass," Califa said, manicured fingernail up in warning. "Blackleg and I were having a conversation, and we haven't finished it. If you don't cease and desist right now, I will personally stop you."

Kid looked at her, snorting. "What are _you_ doing to do about it? You don't have a magic table here to subdue me. It's just you. What? You're going to appointment me to death?"

"That…makes no sense at all."

"I'm going!" Sanji announced, moving to walk away again when Kid reached out and grabbed the bag, to keep him from leaving.

"Listen, here! You want to talk shit? I'm right here! You say all that shit you need to say to my face, and not on - !"

Sanji kept his grip on it, the plastic pulling apart until the condoms and lube fell out at Califa's feet. All three of them stared at the items for some moments.

Then Kid bent and picked the box up, hand to his nose. "These…are my favorite…"

Sanji snatched them out of his hand with an embarrassed look.

"Are you a hemophilic?" Califa asked Kid with concern. "That's a lot of blood."

"KID!" Crocodile bellowed from down the aisle, his minions arming themselves as Kid's minions caught sight of them. "What the fuck are you doing in my territory?"

"What? Aw, _damn_! What the hell are you doing here, old man? Taking advantage of the wine ad?" Kid asked, dropping the box of condoms and standing up. The metal around him vibrated dangerously, and Califa and Sanji quickly scurried out of the way. But Sanji went back and snatched up the condoms and lube, hurrying out as gun shots began to fly, and sand began pulling in from the outside.

Once out on the main walkway, Califa looked at the inside with concern. She sighed heavily, lifting her wrist to tap on the Apple watch there. "I need assistance here at Target," she said as Sanji hastily began walking for the pedestrian bridge nearby. She hurried after him, ignoring the sounds of battle coming from the broken doors.

" _Wait_! Listen, enough about myself. Look, I need to ask your advice," she said. "Theoretically, I have this friend. And he's interested in…someone. He doesn't know how to get their attention, and he's a little shy."

"Sounds like a Nicholas Sparks movie."

"How did Law woo you?"

" 'Woo'? There wasn't any wooing. What a strange question."

"Then how did he spark your interest?"

"He pretty much convinced me to the dark side with strategic nightly molesting."

Califa stared at him in silence, unimpressed. Sanji shrugged.

"And now look at me. Stealing condoms from Target," he muttered darkly, looking at the box. "So he must've did something right."

"That's…that's _it_. That's…that's all he did. No flowers, no date – "

"We actually had our first date Saturday. After all these years, and…I'm not entirely sure that it was a…but it was great! Um…I guess, the only advice I can give to your friend is to…not give up. Eventually, the person he's pursuing, they'll see his good qualities. He just shouldn't be shy about going for what he wants. And…he shouldn't hold back. If he has feelings for this person, he should tell them."

"Oh. _Well_."

"Maybe buy some flowers. Um, a date. Ask them to coffee. Take them to a movie. A walk in the park is nice, too. Um…and don't be afraid to show physical interest, because Law was very upfront about that, and…" Sanji waved the condoms at her again, grinning. "It worked with me. So."

"Right. Well. Thank you, Blackleg," Califa said with much uncertainty, hearing the sounds of a building collapsing. She looked at Target with a start, then hurried off, Sanji moving in the opposite direction as his phone rang.

: :

When Sanji finally came home, Law gave him an incredulous look for the length of time he'd taken. But once Sanji slapped the twenties back into his open palm, along with the crushed box of condoms and lube, he shrugged.

"You don't want to know what I had to do to get those," Sanji said hastily, reaching between them to untie his pants while he kicked off his shoes. "We're finally alone. The door is locked, let's go to bed."

"There's a reason why we're using these," Law warned him, shaking the box. "No bare exchange of body fluids."

"Does that mean we have to limit kissing, too?" Sanji asked curiously, pulling him towards the bedroom.

"I'm sure we can do it sparingly," Law said, as Sanji pushed the dresser in front of the bedroom door he'd locked.

"Where's Shachi?"

"He went back home. He can't afford to miss too much school. Penguin started his three day shift – Bepo is hanging out at the harbor."

"I had the funniest thing happen," Sanji then said, reaching up to pull off his shirt, then his pants and underwear. Once Law was naked, he pushed him on the bed, then hurriedly undressed himself as Law shifted pillows around, frowning at the position he had to take due to his arm injury. He wanted to be the one in control, but he supposed Sanji just had to take the lead if they wanted anything done, today.

"One of the people that stopped me in Target was Califa – "

"The blond."

"Yes. And get this – she has a huge hard on for Shachi."

" _What_?"

"Right? She was saying how much she liked his face, and was impressed that he was going for his master's! She had the whole blushing maiden thing going on," Sanji exclaimed, dumping some lube into his hand, then reaching for Law's dick. He leaned down to kiss his chest, to play with his nipples, using his tongue to taste and appreciate before lifting up to say, "And she even went to the university to look for him."

"I'm sure he'd like to know that," Law said with utter amusement. "He sucks with women."

"I've seen the way he's tried," Sanji said with a chuckle, feeling Law's dick harden in his hand, assisted by his stroking. He focused on the task for a couple of moments, then leaned in to kiss along his jawline, nipping lightly as Law reached between them to play with his, too. Sanji paused in his ministrations to dump some lube into his hand, humming with approval as Law started to stroke him again. "She's really into him. I can't take that picture seriously."

"I can't either. She's twelve feet tall compared to him. But he likes them like that. He's always hitting on Robin," Law said with a chuckle, pushing his hips up into Sanji's hand, the blond leaning down to kiss his neck, suckling gently before licking.

"Not that he has a chance with her, but wouldn't it be funny if they hooked up? It'd be scandalous," Sanji said, climbing over his lap, to hold their erections together. In that position, he stroked them together with both hands, growing slightly breathless and showing building excitement in the act as they talked. "I wonder…how if…it'd work if…it just happened."

"He'd fuck it up right off the bat," Law said with confidence, reaching up to pinch Sanji's left nipple, to circle it with a fingertip before reaching down to grab his hip, frustrated with not being able to use both hands. His own growing arousal was caused by this setback – he had to let Sanji take control, let him have his way. "God, you look so hot like that."

"Don't… _mmm_ , don't look at me…is your arm okay?"

"It's fine. I'm not even feeling it right now." Law reached for the condom, handing it to him with a grin. "Turn around, sit on my stomach. You do that, and I do you."

"I don't…even know – _remember_ if I can," Sanji admitted, taking the condom with a grimace, following his instruction. Once he was in place, spreading his thighs slightly to keep all his weight off of Law, he opened the condom. Then looked at it suspiciously, feeling a little foolish for not remembering how to use one. He felt Law's finger rim his pucker, and was distracted by that. He leaned forward to give him better access, enjoying the feeling of his finger entering his body. He breathed out hard, feeling that slender digit push up past the ring of muscle, easing lube inside with a teasing touch.

"Just pinch the tip – not _that_ tip," Law admonished, watching his finger disappear up into Sanji's body, narrow heat causing him eager anticipation. "The tip of the condom. Then roll it over, all the way down."

Sanji focused on doing so, breathing out steadily as Law's finger continued to tease him. Carefully, he rolled the condom over his dick, pushing his ass out and back so that Law had better access to him. The slow burn and stretch made him moan lightly, fingers tensing on the task.

"I feel like…I'm taking advantage of a kid, again," Law confessed, slowly slipping up a second finger alongside the first. Sanji tightened his ass, Law wincing as he did so, stilling the movement as Sanji straightened up to look back at him over his shoulder.

"No more of that. Or I do you," Sanji warned him.

"Hah, shut up and get on, you little shit. Threatening me like that."

Turning around, Sanji reached beneath him to hold his dick steady. He bit his lower lip, anxious at this part. He was sure it wouldn't hurt so much like the last time – he was going to take it nice and slow. Law reached over to wrap his fingers around Sanji's dick, smearing his pre-come over the head before stroking him firmly.

"Go slow, baby, don't hurt yourself," he said with a light smile, Sanji glaring at him before placing ass over dick.

He immediately noticed the difference in the feel of the condom compared to bare skin – but it made things a little more slippery, and he exhaled heavily, tilting his head back to focus on the task. He felt the head breech first, the sting of pain making him gasp; he considered lifting off and abandoning that all together. But he remembered 'pushing out', so he did that and lowered, concentrating hard on the task. Once he was fully seated, he panted lightly, his hands shaking slightly as he made to set them on Law's hips.

"Ah, that _hurts_ ," he breathed low, but clutched Law there for a few moments, then shifted his hands upward, touching as much of Law's stomach and chest as he could. The pain registered with each twitch of movement, and he wanted to retreat away from it – he felt too stretched and too full, but he was where he was, now. It took only a slight action to feel the pressure against his prostate, the movement enough to convince him to stay. " _Fuck_."

When he straightened up again, lifting and falling slightly, he gave a low moan, fingers tightening over Law's chest. Then pulled them away to touch himself – stroking his own thighs, his own hips, moving up to brush his hair out of his face as he ground down and started moving. " _Ah_ , yes, that feels so _good_ …!"

"Stop, _stop_ , slow down, go a little slower," Law said quickly, way too flustered as he watched Sanji touch himself, grounding and riding him with growing eagerness. He reached out with both arms, the sharp pain telling him what a bad idea that was. He grimaced and hugged that arm tight. Sanji didn't notice this, too caught up in his own pleasure as he shifted about, groaning as he moved his hips.

"Go slow, _go slow_! Goddamn it, you're going to make me – _I can't do anything_!" Law exclaimed with rising panic, currently caught up with his one-armed helplessness and the rising, dangerous tension as Sanji rode him with wild abandon, caught up in seeking his own pleasure in the act. Watching the guy lose control of himself was enough to send Law into a panic, the pressure building much too damn fast – the condom wasn't helping matters, any. It seemed to make Sanji's actions easier, giving him the confidence to move faster. And _goddamn_ it, for someone that looked like he did, Sanji was a lot stronger than he appeared – he seemed to take complete control of Law's helpless dick and rendered it his bitch, and his movements didn't give Law much opportunity to move because those hands of his were given the devil's strength and Sanji was holding him down, and Law couldn't straighten up -

Sanji came with a loud shout, and Law grimaced because of the sudden, crushing pressure, letting go of his arm to push at his hips to try and ease away from that particular pain. Sanji started moving again to ride out the waves of his orgasm, but the moment was lost for Law because he leaned back against the pillow with a pained grimace, wanting his dick out of the compressing pressure that made it feel like he was caught in a damn vise.

Resting over him, catching his breath, Sanji looked at him, sweaty and sweetly alluring, like he was looking for Law's approval. He grimaced because he'd lost control of himself and basically took his own gratification without giving Law his, and Law figured next time he'd find it a little more pleasurable, because there was _always_ a next time.

"You're a fucking monster, goddamn it," he laughed.

"I heard you yelling, but I couldn't stop," Sanji confessed, sheepishly cringing.

"You fucking virgin."

"Shut up!"

"Can't even control yourself like a proper adult."

"SHUT UP!"

"You're not allowed on top, anymore. Give me a kiss, at least."

Embarrassed but chuckling because Law teased him with a bright expression of his own, Sanji stretched over and kissed him.

After, Sanji stared up the ceiling, thinking over Sabo's words. He shifted about uncomfortably, then looked over at the man at his side, who was dozing off. He reached over with a fingertip, to trace his nostrils and then poke in at his teeth. Law spit out, then wiped his face, reaching over to slap a hand over his chest. Sanji laughed, rubbing the sting away before saying, "Are you sleeping?"

"Yes. Can't you tell?" Law grumbled, turning his head in the other direction, then twisting back at the awkward sensation on his neck.

"Let's talk."

"Sure."

Sanji sucked his lips in between his teeth for a moment, then asked, "Why do you love me?"

"Because you give it up real easy."

"So _you_ can shoot off real easy?"

"SHUT UP."

Sanji laughed, rolling in to hug him. Once settled, he inhaled deeply of his skin, then nibbled lightly on his chest while he gathered his thoughts together. "Okay, _okay_ , look – both of us suck, all right? Shouldn't it be a compliment, that neither of us can hold our load when it comes down to it?"

"NO."

"Is it that much different from being with women?"

"Is this what you wanted to talk about? What an uncomfortable subject. I feel like I'm being set up."

"Fine. Answer my first question. _Honestly_. What is it about me that makes you do everything you do?"

Twisting to look at him, Law frowned. Everything popped into his mind, all that he wanted to say, everything that made him act the way that he did, but for some reason, none of it could make it to his tongue. Plus, it was difficult opening up in such a way, especially when he felt he would be made fun of, or have it used against him. _At the same time_ , he understood that this was Sanji he was talking to. The very same person that allowed him to feel as he did was only asking _why_ he felt the way he did.

"Uh…well, you make me people," he answered slowly, playing with Sanji's hair.

"…What?"

"I feel like a person when I'm with you."

Sanji scrunched his forehead, trying to figure out that answer.

"Like I said, when everyone talks about me, it's never anything nice, right?"

Sanji gave a shrug, because it was true. He didn't like hearing that, though.

"So, when I'm with you, I feel like someone who is actually liked."

Sanji didn't like that answer, because it made him feel hurt that people had this opinion of a man that had pretty much saved his life. He frowned, reaching out to play with one of his nipples. "Oh."

"Not only that, I…I'm happy I can be myself and not have you…expect something different. Not…look at me like I'm an object. Or something – riff raff. You know what I'm about, so…I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not just to hold their attention."

"So I make you comfortable?"

"I feel like I can fit in with others. To a certain degree. With being…a certain person."

Leaning up on an elbow, Sanji said with some frustration, "Everyone has these misconceptions about you, and they don't even know you. They just go off what they think – and you don't even bother correcting them. You just make it worse."

"I've built a nice rep for myself all these years, so…don't ruin it for me. Look, I know what people say about me. I know that each and every one of them thinks that you can do better. Hell, I think that, too."

"Okay."

"I don't want anything else."

"I –"

"Which is why I feel guilty, because what if the others are right?"

"I don't think that – "

"I have been sexually active since I was fifteen. I can't even tell you the number. None of them were real relationships like this one, but I still count it as being with other people. You've only been with me. So, of course everyone thinks that it isn't fair to make you stay with me, when – "

"Please stop talking like that!"

" – I _do_ think they're right in some aspects, because that was the only way I was able to learn about myself, was being this individual, and living life on my own. Granted, it was only to get away from Doffy and Cora, but…"

"I don't want to hear that sort of thing from you."

"I can't leave because I don't want to be without you, _and_ I feel like I _should_ leave so I'm not holding you back from missing out on various opportunities to grow."

"I don't think you should be thinking that way. Because my opinion matters, too. It's important that you know I don't want to go a day without you. You make me laugh, and you piss me off, and you hurt me like nothing else in the world, and if those aren't feelings of love, then what the hell is it? I don't expect it to be perfect, but I think _we're_ perfect because you can be you and I can be me, and we're stupid together."

"Pitifully stupid in some aspects."

"I guess we can't have it all."

"I know if you ran into Sabo, then Sabo must've had a lot to say that made you think about it, all of a sudden," Law said with a frown.

"I did," Sanji admitted. "But it wasn't just him that said these things. I hate when they talk like this to me, and – "

"I'm pretty sure they're all right about it," Law muttered with a shrug, picking at the wraps covering his arm. "Zeff's not exactly shy when it comes to expressing his opinion."

"What matters is _my_ opinion, right?" Sanji asked sharply, reaching over to grab his chin and force him to look at him, demanding eye contact with that action. " _I'm_ happy. And I hate it when people think they know what's best for me."

"I feel that they're right, though, Sanji. Really, when I think about it, what do I bring you? What about me makes you feel that you shouldn't look any more?"

Sanji reached out, pulling on his earrings so that Law had to look at him again. "When we were kids, you brought me joy because you gave me your attention. You could've went on your way that day, but you chose to stop and pay attention to me. From that moment, you pushed me to do better, to better myself in order to get your approval."

"Which isn't – "

"You pushed me to do better, overall! When we were a little older, you defied Doffy's orders to stop talking to me, and continued to be my friend. You were like a brother, to me. Probably a much nicer one, if what Zeff said was true.

"When I grew older and we kept running into each other, yes, it was about hormones. But you pushed me to explore my limits and question everything and never give up, even when it looked weird. You made me want to prove myself. You let me into your world, you made me open my eyes, you _loved_ me despite all the obstacles then. When I came back, you were there for me again, and I can't think of anybody who would have done what you did with so much patience and determination that you had, just to keep me from losing my mind. After everything, why the _fuck_ would you and those people think that I'd want something different from this? When we're still learning from each other and pushing each other to be the best that we can be? You _are_ the best for me. You always have been. And I hate it when people say otherwise, like they know better, but they don't know our history. I feel like cutting them all off and telling you let's go somewhere else together and do this on our own, but…there are responsibilities here that keep me from saying that."

"And those things…those things are things I can't imagine anyone else thinking of me," Law said quietly. "Which is why I love you more than anything, and want nothing but the best for you. But if I can't give that, and I continue to act the way I do because I'm afraid of losing you, of course I'd think there was something better for you, out there."

Sanji hated hearing that, and it frustrated him to hear it from Law himself. Sanji felt Law had given him the best of everything, and he couldn't stress enough how good he had it. What did these people expect him to have, exactly, that was 'the best'?

"Look, I don't want to hear you doubt yourself, again. If we're in this together, then we need to just be together, and ignore what other people think is 'best' for us. Only _we_ know what's best for us!"

Law sat there for some time, just mulling these words over and over. It made him feel down that people felt this way, and openly told Sanji that they felt Law wasn't worth Sanji's attention. It made him believe in it, feel even worse about himself. If there were so many of Sanji's friends and family that believed he could do so much better than Law, then they must be onto something. What went into this thinking was his own actions over what Lucci had told him, and Law had done and said some despicable things to Sanji because of it. He couldn't forgive himself for that; acting out of anger and fear did nothing to disprove the others' opinion. Sanji could say everything he wanted about how he felt, but Law knew their opinion mattered to Sanji.

He pulled away from the man, to sit up and rest an elbow on his thigh, while Sanji sat up next to him, leaning his head on his shoulder.

"I know your mind is set, Sanji, but…I think it's important for you to know that…these people, they're not just speaking out of their asses. They're right. All that little stuff in between, when we weren't together? That was the time when both of us were on our own, learning about ourselves. I became this guy, and you became that guy – at this point in your life, what if they _were_ right? What if it was better that you were on your own to relearn who you are, again?"

Sanji jerked away from him, slowly turning red with anger from the neck up. Law looked at him cautiously, because in that state of mind, Sanji was capable of anything. "Don't – _why_ do you have to do this? Why do you overanalyze everything?"

"I'm just saying! _Calm_ down."

"I know where I want to be, and it's _right here_! Don't start with me on how you think it's a good idea when I just fucking told you it's not! I don't want to be anywhere else!"

" _Stop_. _Yelling_."

"I can't believe you'd say that after all that! Do you _want_ me to go on without you? You just fucking told me that you couldn't!"

"Look, settle down. _Damn_. I'm just saying, I see their point of view. I want the very best for you. And if this is what's best for you – "

"I'm not listening to this! Fucking asshole. You ruined it. You ruined _everything_ about this fucking moment," Sanji snapped, rising off the bed, then stomping out of the room. Stopping outside of it to wince and cringe and reach back to his ass at the discomfort there, then continuing on to the kitchen.

Law just sat there, shaking his head. _Goddamn that temper of his_ , he thought sourly. He figured he'd give Sanji a few minutes to calm down, then approach him again. He knew exactly what he was saying – he just wished _that_ man did, and understood it. But he supposed their age difference had a large hand in it. He was speaking from experience – he had his chance to explore himself and learn what he was capable of being alone. The more he reflected on the others' view of Sanji, the more he started to feel, with both fright and stubborn anxiety, that they were right.

He didn't want to let him go. He didn't want to be without him. But he constantly felt he was holding him back. _Everyone said so_.

He awkwardly climbed off the bed and went after him, putting together things he knew Sanji would not want to hear. But the more he thought about them, the more he felt he was giving Sanji a chance to do something different.

"Look, brat, I know you don't want to hear this, but hear me out," he said, finding him in the kitchen, rattling pots and pans together, the counter already littered with various spices and cans. When Sanji refused to look at him, shoulders hunched and movements sharp, obviously angry, Law leaned against the fridge, awkwardly hugging his hurt arm close. "Let's say we give them what they want. They want you to have total freedom to explore for yourself what's out there, to learn to 'be' yourself again, right? It's going to take at least a month for me to get feeling back into this. Why don't I – "

"NO."

"Well, you didn't hear – "

"I DON'T WANT TO."

"Then don't listen. I'll just stand here and monologue it." Law looked at the lights on the ceiling, at the shelves overhead. Everything was in his reach, but this wasn't his area. This was Sanji's. He still had trouble finding a coffee mug in the mornings, and most the time, he didn't even have to get up and get such things himself. Sanji had it for him without him saying anything.

He was going to miss that.

"This injury leaves me vulnerable, I hate to say. I can't lift or hold anything. All of my attacks rely on my sword. If I can't rely on my arm to hold my sword, than I can't defend myself. Chopper gave it a month. I am going to leave for a month. It doesn't matter where I go, it'll be away from the city. If they can't find us, then…that's good. And in this month, I want you to live on your own. Without me. I want you to be…to be single. It's only for a month."

" _No_. Stupid."

"We'll give what your friends want – time to yourself."

"I'm not doing it."

"You want to know the truth? It hurts. It hurts that these people close to you feel that I'm unworthy of you. That they feel I'm not good enough, and they want to know why you'd bother with someone like me. And I believe them. I _feel_ that I'm not good enough, especially after what I said and did to you the other day, all because you liked another man's _looks_. It hurts that people still think I am…riff-raff. It hurts to know that I'm not good enough for anybody, in that, even after every effort I've put into being this person for you, that it's just… _not enough_. And they'll never stop saying it, Sanji. Not until they feel satisfied with the person that you're supposed to be in their eyes."

"Fuck them."

"So, let's give them this month. You go and…do what you need to do to learn to be a better person, and I'll just…heal. Because if that man attacks again, I have a feeling he won't follow the rules. And I'm certain I won't be able to do a thing. I told you before, and you know it, he's stronger and faster than me, and I need all my limbs in order to pull an attack or defense to keep him from killing me, and the others."

"…I'm not doing this."

"Even if you don't agree with it…I've made up my mind."

"My birthday is coming up. You can't. And we're not talking of this shit again."

"It's only for a month, baby."

"Don't call me that. And I'm not doing this. I don't agree with it. I refuse to do it."

"It's the 28th, now, so I'll return on the 30th. That'll give you enough time to satisfy these people's demands for you to be this…individual they so crave."

"No, _I'm not doing it_. And you can't do this, either!"

"Unfortunately, I am. And you can't stop me. I only ask that you do everything that you think I wouldn't want you to do, to get it out of your system. To satisfy yourself, _and_ them. Because when I come back, I won't allow anymore of it."

"This is not something I want to do. And you can't do it. And it's so fucking stupid that you'd go off what they say, to satisfy them! This is not satisfying me in any way! I don't want to do it! I don't want to do anything like that! I'm not doing any of it!"

"I just feel that their judgment won't stop until you can show that you can do this. This is difficult for me, too."

" _No_!" Sanji shouted at him, finally turning around to glare at him. his eyes were red and watery, and Law looked away quickly because he knew Sanji could make him change his mind looking at him that way. " _No_. This isn't going to happen. I don't want it to happen. I just want to be with you, and - !"

"It's not going to kill us," Law told him calmly. "If anything, it'll only make us stronger. If we can prove to them – "

"We have _nothing_ to fucking prove to them! This relationship belongs to _us_ , not them! I'm not sleeping with them! I'm sleeping with you! And fuck what they say! How can you care what they fucking say after all this fucking time?"

"Because I love you. And I care what your family says about you. And I feel that it's important for both of us because…maybe both of us needs this period to ourselves."

"I DON'T NEED THIS TIME TO MYSELF!"

"If you ugly cry, I'm going to leave."

"How could you go from telling me you love me to you needing space?"

"It's because I do that I'm – it's only for a month!"

Sanji just stared at him for a few moments, utterly bewildered as to how Law could go from extremely clingy to suddenly worried about what everyone had to say. But he could see that the other man's mind was set. He felt slapped.

"Look," Law said low, stepping in to touch Sanji's flour covered hand, clutching his slim fingers within his, "I did and said some…terribly despicable things the other day. And if anybody had known what I did…it'd only prove them right, what sort of person I am. I feel…very guilty and ugly inside because of it. No one should have to do that to someone that they love, right?"

"I told you, I already forgave you for that."

"When it happened, you just…shut down. You looked at me with total…and I'll never forget that look. Like I had just kicked your dog. And you always have a reaction, Sanji, to _everything_ , and you didn't have one. That made me feel they were right. At that moment, they were _all_ right. I lost my head over practically nothing, and Penguin was right – I let that guy get into my fucking head, and I did and said these things that I'll never forget, and…the more people talk, the more I feel…unworthy.

"But…it's only a month. Above all, I should…put myself out of those guys' reach, and…heal."

"No. No, you're not going anywhere. I'm not listening to this, anymore. I think it's stupid," Sanji said, jerking his hand away from his and resuming mixing ingredients for sugar cookies. "I think you're just talking out of your ass. What do you want for dinner?"

Law sighed. He stepped up to him again, to press a kiss against the back of his neck, to touch his waist with his good hand. "I love you. Give me a kiss. A good one."

"We're not talking about this subject, again. I don't care what other people think of us. What matters is that we're both happy, and we are. We're going to have fights, just like you said a while ago. _Okay_?" Sanji said, turning to look at him, blinking away the frustration that threatened to spill. He stood up on his tiptoes to kiss him firmly. "All that matters is that I love you."

"I'm going to go find my phone. Just…think about it. Okay?"

"No. I'm not. I'm not giving that stupid moment anymore thought. What do you want for dinner?"

"Something with fish. And rice. And those little green bean things."

"Edamame."

"Whatever. I love you so much, you know I'd do anything for you, right?"

"Everything except listen to me."

Law chuckled, leaning in to bite his ear, then kiss his cheek soundly. He reached around him, grabbing Sanji's dick outside his robe. Then straightened away and headed back towards the room to look for his phone.

Sanji scowled at the ingredients in front of him. His ears burned with anger. With helpless frustration in that these people who blindly lectured him on how he should live his life could make that man so self-conscious of himself. Didn't they remember what Law had done for him? The dedication he had to finding Sanji when everyone had given up, or lost hope? Didn't they remember how he focused on eliminating Hiluluk's street drugs just because of Sanji? All they seemed to focus on was his actions out in the city; from bugging the syndicates to causing uncomfortable uprising because of his quest to eliminate the White Rabbit, and his connections with the Donquixote family, and how the fuck was that his fault, anyway? Why didn't they appreciate the end result?

And for them to judge their relationship – true, the pair didn't show it off like everyone else did on social media. Maybe that was his new mission, now. Maybe he should take pictures of them and post them, and show off all the things that they did just to prove that their relationship was just as good as anyone else's.

He was frustrated that no one seemed to see just how happy they were with each other.

He finished making the sugar cookie batter, and set that in the fridge. Then he went to work with the fish, scowling at the task while he thought over Sabo's words. Over Zeff's wishes for him to be on his own for awhile. He was frustrated with how his eyes burned over the fact that these people closest to him felt he had to be this person that they wanted him to be. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand as he drew the fish out from the fridge.

Then he looked at the clock over the oven. Something felt wrong. he dropped the tray where he stood, then hastily stalked towards the bedroom, feeling panicked. Standing at the doorway, he saw that Law wasn't there. the bathroom was wide open, so he wasn't there, either. He went to Chopper's room, but he had to open the door to do so, and he hadn't even heard it open while in the kitchen. With a sound of distress, he went to the living room, but Law wasn't there either.

A shaky curse left him as he ran back to the bedroom, then went for the closet. Most of Law's things were gone, along with the big backpack he used to haul stuff around in back and forth from medical school. Sanji stared at this for several long moments, heart racing. A mixture of feelings hit him, then, as he stumbled towards the bathroom and realized that Law's toothbrush was missing, as well as other personal items.

He stood there for some time, a slight buzzing in his head. He felt betrayed. He felt abandoned. He felt pissed. He felt helpless. He felt terrified. He felt –

A slight buzzing sound alerted him to movement from Law's side of the bed, so he ventured in that direction, thinking that maybe he was just going a little overboard with his thoughts. Maybe Law wasn't serious. Maybe the man would come back, realizing his mistake – after all, Law was all bluster and talk, too. He tended to act out in a way similar to Sanji, realize his mistake, and return with some foolish excuse.

But once he realized he was looking at his own phone between the bed and the nightstand, he felt like someone had hit him in the gut.

Law had sent him a message: 'A * month. I'll be back on the 30th. I love you.'

Sanji threw his phone across the room with an enraged snarl, hearing it crack.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Penguin was looking at his phone, scrolling through Facebook when the ambulance came to a slow stop. Sitting on the stretcher bed in back, he made a face at some of the entries he saw, unable to stop himself from commenting on Shachi's status – his mother was forcing him into traditional wear for some sort of family dinner, and he was standing there with a sad face while his mother beamed proudly at him in her own kimono.

"Uh…Austin?" the driver said cautiously, and Penguin locked his phone and looked over his shoulder at his partners' faces. "It…uh…it's for you. Someone wants to talk to you."

" _Huh_?" Penguin said in bewilderment, looking beyond them at the windshield and realizing that they were stopped in the middle of a busy street, near the downtown area. He couldn't imagine anyone even knowing his location when he hadn't even told anyone what shift he was working – unless it was Law, and the man never bothered him while working, so –

Cars began honking impatiently around them, and the two in front were giving him awkward looks, so he hoped it wasn't a dire emergency as he unlocked the back doors and hopped out, adjusting his uniform top as he looked around the driver's side with a puzzled expression. The Lexus directly behind them honked impatiently with a couple of gestures, and before Penguin could reply to the frustrated driver, Sanji kicked that whole car into an entirely different lane. The driver screamed with fright, those in front and behind him looking startled. Most of the vehicles closest to them began trying to back away, reversing and going nowhere. Pedestrians were watching with caution, unsure of whether to run or stay.

Penguin gaped at him with utter surprise and horror, Sanji reaching out and grabbing his uniform, snarling, " _Where the fuck is he_? You know where he is! He tells you everything!"

"Jesus Christ what is _wrong_ with you? You're possessed!" Penguin cried with surprise, jerking back and hearing other cars honking at them and each other, the ambulance driver leaning out the window with a startled expression. "What are you talking about? You did not just hunt me down just to freak me out - !"

"What did you say to him? You said something to him – _where did he go_?" Sanji asked, shaking him menacingly. Penguin swore there were devil horns growing out from his head as he snarled at a couple of people honking at them.

The man was rampaging the streets in a pair of sleep pants, house slippers, his kitchen apron, and a t-shirt, which suggested many things. But Austin looked him with confusion, reaching between them to grip Sanji's hands – a thumb applied to the backs of them, and a twist so that his hands were removed from his person. Sanji looked at him with surprise because he hadn't expected Penguin to be that strong.

"Look, _calm_ down, what's up? Did Law leave you?" he asked, almost with a disinterested expression. He gave Sanji a judgmental onceover. "I don't blame him. Running around like that – "

Sheer instinct had him ducking the leg that flew over his head; that kick would've landed him into the McDonald's nearby, so Penguin quickly took his distance with a dismayed expression. A second later, he ducked again, as Sanji pulled up a manhole cover and threw it at him with an enraged roar. This time, people did scramble for cover.

" _I was only kidding_!" Penguin howled, taking cover behind a Ford truck, the driver looking at him with surprise. "Calm down! What happened?"

"Austin! What should we do? Want us to call the cops?" the other paramedic asked with worry.

"I'll meet you at that diner! I got my radio!" Penguin assured her, waving her off. As the ambulance slowly drove off, traffic began to move. But Sanji didn't care for the drivers honking at him. One car inched up against his legs with impatient action, and he turned and kicked the vehicle back a few feet, tires leaving black marks on the pavement, the driver screaming in reaction.

Once the others around him saw this, they all patiently waited for Sanji to cross the street as Penguin made it to the sidewalk, giving him a bewildered look. Traffic began moving slowly, the street clearing out as Sanji glared at him, shaking slightly with some enraged emotion.

"I couldn't find you – "

"So you assaulted every ambulance you saw?"

"He's gone. He left. We had this talk, and – he went on and on about how people don't approve of him, and _he fucking left_ ," Sanji stressed, fists tightened at his sides. "He's not answering his phone! He talks to you the most, he must've told you where he went."

Penguin shook his head, plucking his phone out from his uniform chest pocket. He looked at his messages and email, but there was nothing from Law. He shrugged. "What, so he left for the store? To go kick some ass? I hope not. He's going to lose that arm if he doesn't settle down for the next couple of weeks – "

"Call him! Text him, see if he answers you!"

"Fine, alright, sheesh, calm down. You're scary when you're mad," Penguin mumbled, looking at him cautiously. He pressed on Law's icon – a picture of his college ID card – and was surprised by the response. He put it on speakerphone so Sanji could hear the last of the unisex voice informing him that the user he'd dialed was 'no longer in service.' "That's weird, but I'm not that surprised. I'll email him."

Moments after he sent it, his inbox was hit with a message from the man he'd tried to reach out to. It only had a couple of lines. "I'm out until the thirtieth. Good luck."

For a couple of seconds, Penguin stood there, staring. Then he refreshed the page. Then again. Then again for good measure. Sanji snatched his phone from him, then read the message for himself.

"WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN?" he cried, arm pitched back to throw when Penguin snatched his phone from his hand, saving it from certain doom.

"That's…that's a really weird message," Penguin admitted, scratching his head. He sent a reply.

'You guys broke up? Can I have your DVDs? And that leather jacket?'

Sanji, meanwhile, was looking off into the distance, looking moments from some type of breakdown. Penguin looked at him cautiously. Law had mentioned these moods of his – he could go from one end of the spectrum to another without notice. From 'sweet and cute' to 'atomic warfare' in nanoseconds.

'No. I'm coming back.'

'Special instructions?'

'Help him grow up. Oh, and don't die.'

He put his phone away, knowing that he was not going to get any more than that. He made to walk away when Sanji grabbed his sleeve, growling low, "Have you made contact with him?"

"No idea. But he said he'll be back on the thirtieth. Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing but one of those diva moods of his."

"' _Don't worry about it_ '?"

"Yeah. You guys aren't broken up, right? If he says he'll be back, he'll be back. You have to admit, Sanji, his arm is not capable of anything at the moment. There is the very real fear of him losing more than just a battle if that guy attacks, again. You're so selfish."

Sanji stared at him for a few moments, unblinking. Penguin grimaced, certain he was going to be killed in some way.

He did not expect the guy's eyes to widen, redden, and fill with tears in practically the same second. Penguin reacted with horror, hands up.

"Bro - ! _Don't even_. Don't even do that. You're a _grown_ man. You don't cry just because your man is a dumbass who can't even express himself properly."

Sanji made to speak, but then his chin shook. Penguin reacted with a startled cry, jumping back in utter discomfort because he was NOT going to be stuck dealing with this emotional mess. He made to walk away because he had a job to do, but then there was a thump of tires and the loud, metallic bang of a car's bumper slamming into a light pole nearby. The light pole crashed down onto the sidewalk, sending pedestrians screaming and running in various directions to escape danger.

He turned with bewilderment, and it was _goddamn_ Doflamingo and Corazon piling out from the car, and his body couldn't move no matter what he did with it. Corazon and Doflamingo strode towards Penguin with utter fury on their features. Both of them looked as if they'd left some black tie event, because they were dressed in their finest suits, with their favorite feather jackets; but Corazon was wearing his favorite hood, looking a little out of place with his finery.

" _WAIT_!" Penguin cried with utter desperation as Doflamingo drew a gun from the inside of his jacket and intended on shooting without investigating the situation. "LAW LEFT HIM!"

That caught their attention.

"Not _forever_ ," he then had to stress as Corazon looked moments from fainting and Doflamingo looked puzzled. Their driver, Gladius, climbed out from the car and watched with vague interest before spying a corner market. He made a beeline for it as Doflamingo lowered his gun. "For some reason, he took off."

"And…you are…?" Doflamingo asked, looking at him closely.

"I found him. Walking on the streets. Stressed out of his mind. I'm a city worker. _Paramedic_ ," Penguin said hastily, not wanting his cover blown for any reason. Corazon understood, so he didn't give any indication that he already knew who this man was. "This is what he told me."

"Sanji? Is this true? Law… _left_?" Corazon repeated, eyes rounding and filling with tears as Doflamingo frowned down at the blond behind Penguin. " _Why_?"

Doflamingo forced Penguin to step aside as Sanji turned to face them, sniffling, struggling to hold in his feelings so he could speak. It was difficult, this rollercoaster of emotions – Sanji couldn't keep up. But once Corazon caught sight of his struggle, _his_ face scrunched up, and he started crying openly because he just _knew_ it was the worst news he could hear.

Doflamingo looked down at Penguin with a flat expression, clearly blaming him for this mess. Passerby stared up at the giant with ruined makeup sobbing his eyes out, and at the smaller blond that covered his face with both hands, then looked at those two with accusing action.

" _I_ didn't do this!" Doflamingo exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his gun, letting go of Penguin. "This wasn't caused by _us_!"

" _He just left_! People spoke about how bad he was for me, and then there was his arm – and – he said it was for my own good – how is this shit for _my own good_?" Sanji managed to get out, his words a garbled mess as Penguin cringed, Doflamingo looking at his brother with absolute disgust.

"It's not! What a jerk!" Corazon cried, wiping his face with the back of his arm and smearing everything with his sleeve.

"For crying out loud - ! _Literally_! Why am I surrounded by criers? Do you both honestly think this will help anything?" Doflamingo asked, exasperated, fingers in his hair. "STOP IT."

"He's so _upset_!" Corazon exclaimed, covering his face with one hand. "He's upset, and it's making _me_ upset! How could Law _leave_ like this?"

"Oh, god, this is ugly. I'm leaving," Penguin muttered, turning to walk off when Doflamingo grabbed him and pulled him back.

"I'm not dealing with this mess by myself," Doflamingo growled, gesturing at Sanji, then at Corazon. " _Do_ something for him! Or you die by gunfire."

" _UNFAIR_!" Penguin snapped, crossing his arms tightly before looking at Sanji impatiently. "You know how Law is! Once his dumbass mind is made up, he's going to do what he does!"

"You sound like you know Law personally," Doflamingo stated, looking at him closely while Penguin caught himself with a wince.

"I'm just saying…you know…judging from your reactions, and speaking mostly to…to Sanji, here, that's how he is, from – what he told me before you showed up, and... That's all."

"People kept telling him that he wasn't good enough for me," Sanji said tightly, wiping his face with hands that still had flour on them. "That he's not worthy – and he _listened_ to them. And - !"

"WHO SAID ALL THAT?" Corazon snarled, tears streaming down his face but shifting expression to pure, reddened rage.

Penguin made to walk away again, Doflamingo moving towards the car when Corazon reached out and grabbed them by their hair, yanking them both back into position.

"But he's hurt, and - ! It's not – it made sense, but just to _leave_ and tell me to – grow up without him, and – not that – I _can't_ \- !" Sanji tried to explain, but he couldn't breathe deeply enough, and he wasn't talking fast enough, and nothing was coming out right as he struggled hard with his rampant emotions.

"I know _you_ say terrible things to Law all the fucking time," Corazon snarled, gun to his brother's chin, Doflamingo looking at him with horror before Corazon then bent and glared into Penguin's face, long fingers wrapped around his neck. "And I blame _you_ , too, for not being a better pal!"

"NOT FAIR!" they both cried.

Then Doflamingo looked at him suspiciously. "Wait, 'pal'? So this lowly city worker knows Law personally?"

"No," was all Corazon said before turning away.

"It's not that any of them did anything, Cora, it's his decision," Sanji sniffled, coming between them and managing to push the enraged man away from his brother and Penguin. He used Doflamingo's coat to wipe his face, Doflamingo looking at him with severe disgust. "We had a serious talk about things, and he just felt that he had to go because he felt unworthy. I guess. _Stupid_ , really, and – it's not fair because I love him so much, and for people to tell him this, to the point where he believes it - ! It's so _stupid_! If I can just see him and – talk - !"

"I know what people say about him, but even he takes such things personally, and he's always wanted to do right by you," Corazon responded, fretting over him after abandoning the pair that quickly escaped his reach. "Do you want some ice cream? Let's go get some ice cream! We can talk about it over ice cream! With sprinkles?"

"I want ice cream," Doflamingo said, perking up. Penguin hastily made his getaway, using the distraction of the moment to escape this never-ending pool of overreaction.

"I don't want anything…I just want him to come back home. My opinion should be the only one that matters, why is he listening to others' opinion when it comes to us?" Sanji asked, grabbing Doflamingo's coat again, blowing his nose on the inside. Doflamingo looked at him as if he were moments from killing him. "I don't know what to do if he isn't there. I can't sleep without him. I can't do this without him! I just want him to come home!"

"Jesus, this is sad," Doflamingo muttered, jerking his coat out of Sanji's grasp. "Get it together! I will not have a daughter of mine acting like his world has ended just because some guy left him! You straighten up that back, toss back those shoulders, and stop your damn crying! That's not going to get you anywhere! You're just making yourself into a fool in front of everyone! You want to get revenge? You sleep with anything that moves! A man broke your heart? You break theirs! If you can't find one that will tell you everything that you want to hear, and give you everything that you want, then you go out and get it for yourself, by force if necessary!"

Sanji sputtered.

Corazon looked at Doflamingo with a disgusted expression, but his brother was on a roll. Gladius returned to the car with a Red Bull, leaning on the dented hood with a bored expression.

"Law left you, fair and square! He didn't want to deal with the emotional blow out afterward, and why should he? When you do _this_?" Doflamingo gestured grandly at Sanji, who looked at him with tear swollen eyes, wiping his face again. "Nobody likes a crier! Men who cry are babies that should be smothered in their sleep! Not because it is kind, but because it is embarrassing!"

Corazon stood in front of Sanji with a desperate gesture. "Look, I'm sure he meant well. I'm sure when he thought of it, it was a brilliant plan. But you know how he is, Sanji. His self esteem has always been, well, _lacking_. He took it very personally, these horrible things that people said to him, and this is how he felt he could fix it, by leaving you."

"We didn't break up, Cora. He'll be back by the 30th," Sanji said. "He needs a month on this bullshit excuse to allow his arm to heal. Truthfully, he was receiving a lot of crap about this shit, but that gives him no solid excuse to leave me when I didn't want him to. So, yes, I'm upset. But people shouldn't make a big deal out of it. I apologize for my own actions, it's been an up-and-down sort of weekend, for me."

Both Doflamingo and Corazon straightened up and stared down at him with puzzled expressions.

"What's wrong with his arm?"

Sanji went tight lipped for a few moments, considering his options. He couldn't mention Lucci, quite yet, considering the political associations that the syndicates were involved in. "He was mauled by an animal, recently, and nearly lost it. Chopper was able to fix it, but it was intensive damage. So he was feeling vulnerable about it."

"So you're wandering the streets like _this_ ," Doflamingo gestured at him, causing Sanji to finally look at himself, realizing what he looked like, "because a man needed to gather his thoughts together, heal himself, and prepare for another battle? SHAME. _For shame_! FOR ONCE! _CORA_! I feel sympathy for my nephew! His wife's overreaction nearly caused several people to die, today, and that's unforgiveable! You know how I feel when I overreact incorrectly to a situation! I am terribly embarrassed for thinking something needed my help in fixing it!"

People scattered at his outraged shout, followed by the firing of his gun overhead. Corazon grabbed his arm and yanked it down with a startled noise, apologizing profusely while Sanji gathered himself up, feeling silly for reacting the way he did.

He shrugged. "I only wanted answers. I tend to react impulsively, and I'm afraid I did so at this point. I'm upset that he left this way, and it's still unacceptable, but…I truly am concerned for his whereabouts. None of his crew knows where he is."

"Well, what did he say to you, Sanji, that made him feel this way?" Corazon asked, bending at the knees as Doflamingo straightened his glasses, fluffed out his coat.

"Just that I should take this month to myself. To be this person everyone wants me to be without him. When he comes back, then…we'll be okay. It's just…I don't believe in that. I am who I am because of him! Why do I need to change for others' approval? If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be here! People are so stupid! And he's even more stupid for listening to them!"

Corazon frowned, lips pursed. He then shrugged. "Well, get in. We'll take you home. There's nothing we can do if his mind is made up. You'll just have to wait for him to come back home when he's ready."

"I can't do this, Cora, that's the thing. I _need_ him here. I can't sleep without him. I can't be without him. How am I supposed to get up in the morning knowing that he's not there? I need him to be there for me when I have a question, or I need someone to talk to, and I need him there just to be there! I need _him_!"

"This is _exactly_ what people were talking about," Corazon said sternly, bending to frown at him, shaking a finger at him. " _This_ sort of attitude is exactly what they were saying. How can you learn to be an individual if you're relying on him?"

"Not you, too!"

"This is definitely something we can agree with," Doflamingo said, resting an elbow on Corazon's head while he was in the position he was in. "Girly Boy. _Enough_. Right now, as of today, Law is gone. It's time for you to man up, be an individual. In this space of time, you'll do all the things you couldn't do when he's here. I need you to make it a mission to – "

"Don't listen to him, he's horrible," Corazon said, waving him away. "Worst advice, ever. You'll probably wind up in a foreign country with no way back. Look, take a few days to grieve. On your birthday, get your ass up, take a shower, and dress in your finest, because we're taking you out to breakfast. After that, it'll be 26 days of adventure, for you, but I'm really guessing 15, because he'll be back sooner than you think. He's very dependent on you, as well. This is probably just as good for him as it is for you."

Sanji scratched his face. He didn't like the thought of being alone. The thought of sleeping by himself caused him anxiety. Of not having him by his side, of going through the day without hearing his low, stomach tickling voice. And going without sex – which caused extreme anxiety because how could Law expect him to go without sex when he was just getting used to it?

But maybe people were right. In that stomach churning moment, _maybe people were right_.

"Okay," he muttered, shoulders slumping. He followed Corazon's guidance to the car, Doflamingo shaking his head at Gladius, who shrugged.

When he returned home, Ussop, Luffy and Chopper was there, and they'd worked themselves into a fit after making their own deductions of the kitchen scene. The fish was still lying on the floor, his cookie ingredients were still sitting out where he'd left them, and Ussop and Luffy were holding onto his broken phone, Chopper in between them, arms raised high in his efforts to hold it, too.

When they saw him, the trio ran at him joyfully, glad he was okay.

Chopper hugged his leg while Luffy hopped up and hugged him from the front, much like how his brother did hours earlier. Ussop considered hopping on his back, but held himself back and grabbed his neck instead, and Sanji struggled to stay aloft as the three of them clung to him with curious faces upon seeing his tear streaked one.

"What happened? Did you and Law have a fight?" Luffy asked suspiciously, nose against his as he examined his expression.

"No, nothing like that. What are you guys doing here?" Sanji asked, stumbling over Chopper as Chopper switched legs so that he could look up from another angle. "I can't move! All of you! OFF."

"We thought someone came in and kidnapped you!" Ussop cried. "The door was unlocked, there's a mess in the kitchen, no sign of either of you – no one's answering your phone, and Law's not answering his phone - ! We feared the absolute worst!"

"We worked ourselves into such a fit that we ate all the cookie dough," Luffy confessed, arms around Sanji's neck as he shrugged.

"GET OFF!"

"Also…" Ussop trailed off, shoving his phone into his face, forcing Sanji to see the Instagram photo Doflamingo had posted.

'Single and ready to mingle! Serious inquiries, only. Near brand new condition, a few chips, but cleans up nicely. DM me for details. Link in my bio,' Doflamingo had posted, along with a picture of Sanji sitting in their towncar next to Corazon, looking out the window with a sad look to his face.

"D-DOFFY!" Sanji shrieked in dismay, Luffy looking startled at the high pitched scream coming from him, Ussop quickly darting for safety, Chopper looking terrorized as he grabbed his ears in distress.

They looked at him with worry as he took a few moments to compose himself. When he was able to get his bearings back, Luffy finally released him, the others stepping away from him so that they could all look at him with worry.

Once he was able to speak clearly, without blowing his top, Sanji said, "It's fine, you guys. There's no emergency. Look, call the others over, and I'll start on dinner."

"Don't worry about it," Luffy said. "I ordered pizza. Well, it was for me, really, but it's enough to feed people. Just make some side dishes. I'll do the calling!"

"Okay. Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Sanji…where's Law?" Chopper asked with worry. "Did the condoms not work out?"

" _AHH_!" Luffy and Ussop cried with horror while Sanji looked mortified.

"Chopper, anything between me and Law needs to stay there," he said, reddening from the neck up.

"Oh. Sorry. I was just concerned because…well, I know you guys had sex, I can smell it, I just, there's only one smell of – "

" _AHH_!" the pair screamed again, more mortified than Sanji was at that moment.

"Oh. Okay, I'm sorry. I hadn't realized that this was a taboo subject. I thought sex was discussed freely amongst friends."

"It's okay, it's not taboo unless it's invited."

"Which it wasn't at this time," Ussop said hastily.

"I'm sorry," Chopper apologized. "But where's Law? Is he still mad?"

"That's why I want everyone here, Chopper," Sanji said, picking him up and holding him on one hip. "So I can tell everyone at once."

"Sanji…did you guys break up?" Luffy asked with concern. "Is that why he wasn't with you?"

"It's complicated, right now. Let's wait for the others. I don't want to keep repeating myself," Sanji said with a sigh, headed for the fridge while Chopper looked at him with concern. "But we're not broken up, not in the way that you think. He's just…being who he is, and milking the dramatics of it."

Luffy scowled, fists tight. "Did somebody come between you? Was he cheating?"

"First off, no. Don't _ever_ assume that it was him, Luffy," Sanji snapped, turning to look at him. "I don't want to hear that from you. _You_ know firsthand what he's done for me all these years, and I won't hear any of that shit from you guys. I don't want to hear _any_ negativity about Law, regarding Law, coming from any of you. Is that understood?"

"Yes," the three of them chimed, looking shamed.

"You're right, that was out of line for me to assume," Luffy said with a sigh. "He's a good person. I just…you're my friend. And seeing you like this just makes me assume things right away. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. But with that in mind, he's your friend, too, and don't ever assume the worst of him automatically. More than likely, it'll be me that makes all the bad decisions," Sanji muttered, Luffy looking at him with concern, unable to imagine that.

: :

"This is your chance," Jabra said to Lucci, showing him the screenshot of Doflamingo's Instagram post. "This is God's way of opening his hands and telling you – Take me. Take me _hard_."

"This is an extreme coincidence!" Kaku exclaimed, dipping his pita chip into a bowl of hummus.

"This is only because you gnawed off his arm," Blueno said patiently. "I am willing to bet my rent money that the only reason why he is 'single' is because Law left town to allow proper healing of his arm, and he wanted Blackleg to have his freedom while he was away. A hall pass, so to say – "

"That's absurd, what a dumb reason," Jabra told him, waving it off. To Lucci, he said, "Look. If you don't swoop in now, you'll lose your chance. After all that big talk yesterday, you can't just fall down in the face of chance!"

"I didn't say much of anything, yesterday," Lucci said.

"Have we all decided that the best way of wooing is to swoop in and – where's Califa with her report?" Jabra than asked, looking around with a dismayed expression.

"Here! I'm here!" she said, hurrying in with her laptop. "It took me a few minutes to finish the spreadsheet. You're going to like what I have to say. It's amazing. Today, before the Kid and Crocodile confrontation that you helped me stop, thank you, Blueno, I actually ran into Blackleg himself."

"Good for you!"

"Good job, Califa!"

"Amazing work!"

"You're a special kid!" Hattori commented.

After passing out the spreadsheet of Sanji's known likes and dislikes, combined with his favorite hangout spots and her reasons why he liked those spots, the men considered the information with intense expressions. Hattori looked at the paper, reading it carefully while Lucci stared out the window with a dark frown on his face. Beaming, Califa then opened up her laptop, sitting at Lucci's feet, the others gathering at his head to look over with interest. Pressing the arrow key, the power point popped up.

"'Cookbook Special Wedding Recipes, Volume 1,'" Jabra read aloud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Good title."

"Catchy," Kaku admitted, sitting from his tea.

"Only it's not a Wedding recipe we're looking for," Lucci commented.

"Shut up!" Jabra told him.

Using a Bluetooth remote, Califa changed the page. "Step one. Conversation."

"Oooh! Conversating!"

"This is going to be real interesting," Kaku muttered.

"Blackleg is a very easy man to talk to," Califa said, office tone taking over. The picture on the laptop showed a profile of Sanji at their last meeting. Ussop's head was in the background. "I approached him very casually, spoke in a calm voice, and was able to have him focused on me with casual regard. He spoke to me informally, he was friendly, helpful, and while distracted by the likes of Kid and Crocodile, he gave them equal attention. I believe that when approaching him with romantic intentions, you give him options."

"'Options'," Kaku repeated vaguely, Jabra looking lost while Hattori scratched his head. Blueno looked concerned.

"Give him the choice of subject, as he seems to very easily carry the conversation into casual terms without feeling threatened. So, upon approach, you cannot take control of the situation like you do, Rob. You must give him easy ability to carry the conversation on his own terms."

Lucci made no expression whatsoever, Kaku looking at him cautiously.

The next slide was a collage of flowers, and men holding them. There was a giant negative sign over them.

"Research that I'd conducted on university grounds suggested that giving men flowers is unacceptable," she stated, shifting her glasses. "They do not like to receive them. The only exception is to receiving any gift of some kind from another man is…"

The next slide showed a sports bar, friends sharing beer and wings. Gift certificates. Women's phone numbers exchanged on the sly. Drugs. What looked to be one man giving advice to another.

" _Ah_ ," all but Lucci said, looking enlightened.

The next slide was a cut out shape of Sanji from the meeting, but there were tags around him where Califa had left notes. "Judging from the cut of his clothes, Blackleg relies on a tailor to fit his suits, therefore, detail is _important_ to Blackleg. Being a clever strategist, it's important that you don't talk down to him as if he's slow or young. Being that Zeff raised him in an environment full of older men, he prefers their company, and is comfortable interacting with them."

"Points for you!" Jabra whispered.

"He also likes dark colors, so this is to your advantage, Rob. Wear dark clothing around him, and he will find it appealing."

"Question! Law doesn't wear this type of clothing. How is he an exception to this rule?" Jabra asked, hand in the air.

"I've prepared for this particular question," Califa said with a determined expression, clicking out of the power point and bringing up an older picture of Law in a suit – it had been taken during one of his undercover operations, because he was in Crocodile's casino at this time, and it was when the man was robbed nearly blind of his profit for that day.

" _This_ is why he doesn't," she stated, zooming in on the reactions of those around him. Opened mouthed women, awed men – all of them with visible admiration in their expressions. "He draws too much attention to himself by dressing fashionable. He prefers the slop that he wears as a way to blend in and avoid too much attention."

"Boo! _Hiss_!" Jabra and Kaku said, a wadded up napkin hitting the device.

Califa shrugged helplessly. "These are only facts, gentlemen. I'm only presenting them as I know them. Back to the presentation. From one of our stakeouts, Blackleg is enamored with perfection in food products, which suggests that he most likely prefers his own cooking, being that he might be too picky to take out. From his size, he might not eat as normally as a man his size should, so this eliminates a potential date to a restaurant."

"How could you not enjoy food to its fullest?" Jabra asked incredulously.

"Hear, hear!" Kaku exclaimed, patting his own stomach.

"I am prepared for this, too!" Califa declared, shifting to a timeline with Law in it. "These two photos are taken nearly four years ago. Note the sharpness of his jawline, the width of his waist. This was taken before it was found that he and Blackleg were having a…situation. _These_ were taken recently. There is only a slight change, which suggests that ever since Blackleg came into his life, his cooking has made a considerable difference in Law's eating habits."

"Which might not hurt you, Robbie, eh?" Jabra said, elbowing the man.

"… _How_ …can you tell the difference?" Kaku asked, squinting at the laptop. "He looks the same!"

Blueno frowned at Califa with some disbelief.

"So no flowers, no restaurant dates," Kaku clarified. "Conversation is important. A walk in the park is his literal suggestion that might work for Lucci's favor."

"It's a wonderful suggestion," Califa said, pushing up her glasses. "There is much to do when on a walk with a potential someone. I've passed all of you a spreadsheet of Blackleg's likes and dislikes as we've noticed them on the streets."

"This guy is an old man trapped in a young guy's body," Jabra said with disgust. "Jazz? Ugh. I can't even shit to jazz. And what's this? He buys non-scented soap? So, what, he smells like plastic and sour milk, probably. What's wrong with smelling like a man?"

"How can one shop for so long in a fruit and vegetable aisle?" Kaku muttered with disbelief. "Fifty minutes? What is wrong with just picking out something that doesn't look rotten?"

"It's interesting that you've noticed how much of a people person he is," Blueno said. "He talks to pretty much anybody that looks at him, excluding men. It seems he doesn't appreciate their company too much. This will be a problem for Rob."

"Not if he already has a foot in the door!" Califa said cheerfully. "It has been noted that Blackleg's eyes linger 3.5 seconds longer on Lucci than he would with anybody else, near similar to the eye contact he makes with Law."

" 'Ch," Lucci muttered, looking towards the window. "This is absurd."

At her hurt frown, Kaku said quickly, "Califa, you did wonderful in gathering this information for us knuckle-heads. We don't know where to begin when it comes to something like this, and you were lucky enough to ask him yourself!"

"You did great, girl," Jabra said.

"You're one of our best investigators," Blueno assured her.

Beaming, she pushed her hair behind her, then frowned at Lucci. "We're rooting for you."

"Even though we don't really think it's right," Kaku muttered, Jabra leaning over the bed to show him the screenshot. "That doesn't even count! How is this even real? Would Doflamingo really sell him like this?"

"There's only one way to ask!" Jabra said, logging into his Instagram account. "I'm going to DM him."

"He won't answer," Lucci said, looking out the window. "If there was a sudden breakup, why in the world would he turn immediately to someone else for comfort after being loyal to another after all this time? Give him a week."

"It's _because_ he's feeling vulnerable that you have to pounce, now!" Jabra snapped at him. "You sleep with someone for this long, do you honestly think you can sleep alone? Eh? _Eh_?"

"That's right. When you're so used to something being there, and it's suddenly gone, you're going to yearn for something to replace it," Kaku said, lighting up.

"This is your chance," Blueno whispered encouragingly.

"Besides, that's all you were looking for, Rob, right? A bed mate?" Califa asked, shutting the laptop.

"What are you guys talking about?" Spandem asked, striding into the room. "Why am I finding all of you in here? Why aren't you out and about on the streets? Drake and Arlong had a violent confrontation over a BarBeQue place on Arlong's territory, Doflamingo was shooting into the sky downtown, and Crocodile approached Kid and Bonney while they were eating out at this waffle place on the east end of town!"

"Did anyone die?" Lucci asked impatiently. "Because we're discussing very important matters here, rather than wasting our time on inconsequential matters between those idiots."

"Well…no…but what's so important?" Spandem asked cautiously. "May I be included? I'm sure I can help…"

"We're plotting on Lucci murdering Blackleg's ass!"

" _Oh_. Oh, _Jesus_. I know nothing."

As he left in a hurry, Lucci look at Jabra with impatience. "Do you mind not saying such things?"

"It's true, but it obviously makes him uncomfortable, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't give this as much thought as we do," Jabra said.

"Rob, might I ask you a favor?" Califa asked, rising from the edge of the bed. "If you do manage to worm your way into Blackleg's favor, can you please pass on a favorable word to him regarding Shachi, for me?"

"I thought we were trying to kill that guy," Kaku said, looking at her with confusion.

" _Really_? You're serious?" Jabra asked with a scrunched expression.

"He's so _cute_!" Califa blushed. "The less I know of him, the more mysterious he is, and I can't seem to find him anywhere!"

"Sure," Lucci told her. "Whatever."

"So, we're not killing him, then? I thought the point of us taking down that particular crew was…I don't know what we're doing, anymore," Kaku grumbled.

"Well, I'm done with this entire conversation," Jabra said, sliding his phone into his pocket. "I've got stuff to do. Trixie takes the stage, tonight."

"I'll go with you," Blueno said.

"May I tag along? I'm free for tonight," Califa said, following them on their way out.

"Sure!"

Kaku looked after them incredulously, unsure of how to process that particular scene. When it came down to it, he didn't know his comrades that well at all. He looked at Lucci, who was frowning at his iPad.

"How do you feel today, by the way?" he asked cautiously.

"Well. I should be standing by mid morning tomorrow."

"Why do you think Law left town?"

"He's a smart man. He left because he's vulnerable at this time. He truly values his life."

"It doesn't make sense that, if he plans on coming back, he'd just suddenly 'break up' with Blackleg. I don't think that picture is doctored in any way. He was genuinely distressed."

"I've taken note of it, and I will have some things delivered to his doorstep tomorrow, anonymously," Lucci said. "I don't know why every one of you is making this into a big deal – but I will go along with it because I have nothing better to do."

"You're a kind man," Kaku said with a non-impressed expression. "I guess you'll do a better follow up job to the situation. I still think it's wrong."

"Well, who ever said we were right in a world full of wrongs?"

Kaku scrunched his brow, then shrugged to agree because it was easiest.

"I'll give him a week to recover, then I'll approach him personally," Lucci said, reaching for his ice chips. "He should have all his wits together when it comes to me. Because if he doesn't satisfy me in any way, I'll just kill him and move onto the next."

Kaku tried not to show any emotion in that, but he saw it happen. But he thought that maybe this time Lucci's intended target was a little stronger than his usual prey. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be cleaning anything up afterward.

: :

A week later, Chopper woke up quickly at the sound of his phone alarm going off. He shut it off, then sat up, sleepily getting his bearings together. Corazon had been very specific with his instructions last night – everyone had given Sanji time to mope, and now it was time for him to get out and live his life. While no one had heard from Law yet, it was agreed that the man was standing firm in his decision to stay away. Chopper had to admit, he missed having him around. The house was too quiet with just him and Sanji, and Sanji wasn't himself just yet. He moved through the day bleary-eyed and lost, and Chopper caught him sleeping in the other man's clothes, most of it scattered on the bed in some trashy mess.

He went to wake him up, having to dig through shirts still on their hangers, the once neatly folded jeans and sweats that Law liked wearing. Once he found Sanji sleeping diagonally with a pile of hooded sweaters in his arms, Chopper gave him a stern glare.

"It's been a week, Sanji!" he said firmly, startling the man from his sleep. "It's time to put things away."

"I'm up, I'm up," Sanji muttered, pulling the comforter over his head, hiding from view. But once he realized that he wasn't moving, Chopper crawled atop of the mess, stumbling a little as small piles fell. He pulled the comforter from him, Sanji curling up into a fetal position with a low curse at the cold that rushed him.

"Get up, Sanji! Law said he'd be back in a month, so you need to start moving! Do all these things he wanted you to do!" Chopper said, bending to dig the man out of the clothes he'd pulled atop of himself, simply because he was lying atop of the comforter. Sometime in the night, though, he'd pulled enough of it out to cover his shoulders with. "If he saw you like this, what would he be thinking?"

"I'm up, _I'm up_ ," Sanji complained, wiping his face. He looked as if he hadn't slept in a week, eyebags dark and heavy, stubble visible at his jawline, hair looking tangled and greasy, snarled in all the wrong areas. Chopper cringed at the sight of him. "Yes, I know, he'll be back. Yes, yes, yes."

"I'm hungry," Chopper said, rubbing his stomach. "I'm tired of sandwiches. Can we have something hot and yummy, instead? Like you used to?'

"Yes, yes, I'm up, I'm up. Coffee. I just need coffee and a smoke."

"You need to eat something, too, Sanji. It's been a week! Man up! Let's start living life! It's not like he left you forever – he just needs time to heal!" Chopper exclaimed with a frown.

"I know," Sanji said morosely, holding the pile of sweaters to him more firmly. "I don't know why I'm taking it so hard. I'm only giving weight to what people think of me. Okay, you're right, it's been a week. I'm sure he's having just as hard of a time as me. I'm going to take a shower, and I'll start cooking after, okay? Go turn on the tv."

Watching and making sure the man was up, Chopper waited until Sanji was in the bathroom before he hurried to the living room. He found the remote and launched himself onto the couch, turning on the television with pressing a button. Once he grew comfortable watching a rerun of Jersey Wives, though, the knock at the door had him scrambling for answer, sure that it was Corazon or one of Sanji's friends showing up, making sure he was moving.

The florist delivery boy looked at him with surprise, Chopper gaping up at the roses, baby breath and sunflowers that he held in a vase in one hand. He signed for it impatiently, sure that Sanji's mood would improve upon seeing it. Then he snatched it from him, and set it on the dining room table. He returned to the couch and watched, enraptured, by New Jersey wives fighting each other.

: :

"You didn't send a card?" Kaku asked.

"No," Lucci said, giving him a frown. He straightened his tie, adjusted his collar, Hattori settling at his shoulder. "I'm well enough to start work. After I conduct business, then I'll start this…approach."

"Did you look at Califa's spreadsheet? It's kind of important. Instead of making him want to kill you, you need to be nice."

Lucci scoffed, reaching back to gather his hair into a ponytail. "Men don't 'woo'. We dominate. We take over. We assert ourselves. If we like something, we take it."

"That didn't work so well the last time you tried it. You were dumped into the river."

"Admittedly, there is some fine tuning to do. Let's go. I'm bored, and it appears that Kid has had too much time on his hands. Let's begin our patrol."

: :

Sanji fiddled with his broken phone as Chopper sat next to him, both of them sitting at the bus stop near the downtown area. He had no idea how to use the transit system, and Chopper knew enough about it to be comfortable directing him. Sanji had figured that this would be an important source of information to know, feeling lost about it. It was horrid to realize just how 'right' everyone had been about his relationship – without Law, he felt absolutely lost and…dare he say it… _helpless_. The older man had taken control of their tasks and everyday things outside of the condo, and Sanji never realized just how much he relied on him to do so. Now that he was gone, he felt at a loss as to how to get through one everyday situation to another without him.

Such as the matter of getting to one place to another without Law's 'shambles' ability, and while he comfortable getting around on foot through the areas necessary, he wasn't sure how to get out of one side of the city to another without Bepo's assistance. Since the transit system was constant, he figured if he knew it, he could use it whenever he needed.

Now that he was out and about, not wallowing in this overwhelming grief of feeling lonely and empty, _abandoned_ , Sanji was starting to feel angry. Angry at Law for leaving him this way, angry at him for listening to the opinions' of others when they knew _nothing_ about their relationship, angry at his friends and family for causing this. Angry at himself for not knowing what he wanted, and feeling like such a mess.

They wanted him to experience life on his own. Well…Sanji was going to live this time out without Law in a way that they wanted. They wanted him to experience things – to 'grow'? Even he wasn't sure what that was, considering just how messed up his mind felt. With the events between them lately, he felt he were being punished for being happy, for being confused, for being…

He felt anger more than anything; that everyone knew 'better' for him, and that he himself was indecisive with his own decisions, that Law wasn't confident in them, in _himself_ – now that he was over moping, he was _angry_.

Chopper looked at him cautiously, wearing a light scarf to cover the bottom half of his face, a puffy jacket with mittens and boots. He looked like a small child.

"I feel you're getting angry," he said.

"I am," Sanji growled, smoking with an ominous expression to his features. "I'm growing angry. I'm frustrated."

Chopper frowned, then shrugged slightly. "I guess it's better than you laying around the apartment like a slug."

Sanji smushed the cigarette in his fingers with a curse, then flicked it away. Those waiting for the bus looked at him cautiously. His Ray Bans were polarized, so no one could see just how upset his eyes were. Chopper looked at him cautiously. The guy wasn't a mess on the outside – given his poor clothing choices – but he worried about his state of mind.

"If I could just hear from him…but he's always been such a big fucking baby," Sanji muttered. "He _always_ does this when things get too overwhelming for him! Runs away at the first sign of feeling, and – when he's feeling hurt – goddamn it. That overly sensitive homo."

He rose up from the bench, pacing in front of it dangerously while Chopper looked at him with concern.

"First he runs off when he realized his dick twitched at the sight of me, no matter what he said about me. _Then_ he ran off again once he realized he had feelings for me. THEN he throws a fit whenever another man even looked at me – this fucker has a goddamn history of trying to run away from his fucking feelings."

"That's not true, Sanji," Chopper admonished firmly. "He might've then, but this time – "

For a few moments, Sanji paced. People looked at him with frowns, uncomfortable with the way he spoke aloud.

"Well, _fine_!" he then said, pausing with his back turned to Chopper. "This is what he wants for me, there's no changing his fucking mind. Just like he had back then, leaving it to his own dumb decision – he wants me to live life without him? And _they_ want me to explore options? I'll fucking do it."

Chopper looked at him with concern, shifting to sit up straight. "I don't like the tone of your voice, Sanji. I think just as he overdoes it with his feelings, you tend to overdo it with proving yourself – "

"YOU WANT ME TO LIVE LIFE? I'LL LIVE LIFE!" Sanji shouted, startling those around them. "You want me to explore other options, old man? I'll explore them! You want me to not settle for what makes me happy, and to continue looking? I'LL FUCKING LOOK!"

"You're on fire! Not literally, but with madness!" Chopper exclaimed, standing up on the bench.

"AND YOU WANT ME TO DATE? I'LL FUCKING DATE! I'll show you fucking assholes that you're all wrong!"

"You go, boy," one woman said, nodding with agreement. "You show them."

Sanji nodded with her, and then looked at his phone. It took a lot of swiping, cursing and frustrating action, but once he found the man, he sent a message. A moment later, his phone rang.

Chopper looked at him with worry.

"This is your first and last chance, asshole!" Sanji said into his phone. "I'm a free agent for the next few weeks, and you've got one night to impress me. NO! You're not – goddamn pervert! You want 'benefits'? You buy yourself a goddamn Fleshlight, in fact, when you pick me up, I'll – no you bastard, it won't be…they have that sort of thing? You can mold your body parts for…? _Really_? NO, I'm not a goddamn virgin – seven o'clock, Goldstone Park, dickhead, and if you're late, that's it for you!"

"Sanji," Chopper said slowly, eyes wide as Sanji swiped his phone to hang up. "What are you doing? I don't think Law meant for this to happen…."

"He did. He wants me to date other people? I'll date _all_ of them, and if Law feels there's others that's 'better' for me, well, I'm just going to do what he requested, and find this 'better' person. That over-feeling, overemotional homosexual vampire will regret this," Sanji said, striding away from the bus stop, Chopper racing after him with a horrified look. "All these judgmental shits know what's best for my life without listening to what I have to say – then fine. Let's do this."

"Where are you going? We still need to get home this way!" Chopper exclaimed, following after him.

"I'm going to live life, damn it. They want me to have experience different things? I'll _find_ that fucking experience! _My_ way!"

"I don't like the sound of this," Chopper said nervously. "When Law comes back, how do you think he'll take it?"

"He left this decision to me. My opinion didn't matter to him – he made his own. Therefore, I'm going to do what _he_ asked me to do, and not feel bad about it," Sanji said with determination. "I'm doing this _his_ way. This is what he wanted."

"Well, what are _we_ doing?" Chopper asked impatiently.

"We're going to the adult toy store. I've never been to one."

Chopper reddened, stumbling. "WHAT? I can't go with you!"

"This is something that needs to be done. Damn. Then I have three hours to prepare for a date," Sanji said, looking at his phone.

"With _who_? _Already_? And - !"

"With Gin. Then I figure Ace, then whoever else I find interest in. I'm going to date them all. Fuck Law, fuck Zeff. They want me seeing other people, I'm going to _see_ other people, see what I'm missing out on," Sanji muttered to himself, a fierce look of determination on his face. "Apparently, there's an entire world out there of opportunities that I'm missing!"

Chopper looked at him incredulously, then shook his head.

: :

That night, Sanji stood at the Goldstone park entrance way down the street from the apartment, fiddling with a cigarette, holding a bag with a pink bow on it. As much anxiety as he had with this very concept, he burned more with the determination to prove everyone wrong. He was dressed in slacks, a striped silk black dress shirt and pink tie, and a black blazer, the cuffs rolled up. He was pretty nervous about his decision. He felt it was wrong – he didn't want to date anyone else. But then he questioned himself because of his thoughts recently with Lucci, so he felt throwing himself into this activity was needed for himself, _and_ to give Law what he was asking for.

When the black BMW pulled up, Sanji flicked his cigarette away. He waited for Gin to approach him, and the man looked pretty happy about it. He was dressed in a leather jacket with maroon dress shirt with a black tie, with black slacks and dress shoes, and when he reached Sanji with a wide grin, Sanji could smell his cologne on him. He wasn't used to that on another man, considering Law liked them both 'natural'. It smelled nice, Sanji had to admit.

Sanji held a hand out, keeping their distance. "First off, there are rules."

" ' _Rules'_?" Gin asked, hands in his pockets.

"There will be no touching, no kissing, no 'accidents'. And no 'woo-ing'. We both know where we stand with each other. _And_ ," Sanji concluded as Gin made to interrupt, Sanji holding up the bag, "this is for you."

"You brought me a gift?" Gin asked with surprise, taking it and looking inside with a delighted expression. He then gave Sanji a dirty look as he retrieved a Fleshlight with a female pornstar's face on the box. " _What's this_?"

"This is all the ass you're getting from me. Now, let's go."

"You're the _worst_ date I've ever had in my life, and it hasn't even been _five_ minutes!" Gin exclaimed, tossing the gift into a trashcan as he followed Sanji to his own car. But he definitely appreciated the view of the other man, giving a low whistle at the fit of those pants. Sanji frowned at him, climbing into the car without waiting for him, and fiddling with the radio as Gin climbed into the driver's seat with an incredulous expression directed at him. "The very worst."

Approaching the trashcan from the nearby shadows, Lucci frowned down at the Fleshlight that Gin had discarded.

" _Feisty_ ," Lucci concluded, signaling for the black Buick to meet him.

: :

Sanji looked around himself. It was a quaint little diner, with a mom and pop behind the counter. Most of their customers were regulars. For someone dressed the way Gin was, Sanji didn't expect to be taken to such a small shack. Then again, he felt bad for thinking he was worth five star dining. Gin seemed happy being here, talking to all of them in his language – Sanji picked at his dinner plate, listening to him talk enthusiastically to the grandmother standing nearby. She was patting tortillas between her hands, preparing them for the cook.

"What are you?" he asked Gin once the old woman shuffled off, Gin digging into his enchilada with gusto.

"My family is originally from Juarez. My uncle came here for the university, and I just followed him up," Gin told him.

"Where is that?"

"Mexico."

" _Where_ is that?"

Gin nearly choked on his food, then looked at Sanji with bewilderment. "What do you mean - ?"

"Don't give me that!" Sanji exclaimed, embarrassed. "I told you, being away from here messed up my every fucking memory, okay? Just fucking answer the goddamn question."

"For fuck's sake, it's just outside of the Texas border. Look," Gin said, showing him his phone after he brought up the map. "For reals? That's how bad it is?"

"I remember things here and there, but once I can associate a moment with a memory, I can remember things easier," Sanji said, looking at the map. Once he saw it, the domino effect of remembrance hit him. He sat with a blush, feeling bad in that he had no idea where Mexico was. "So are you close to your family?"

"No, not really. My dad was a piece of shit and my mom left home as soon as she could. I'm closer to my uncle than I am with any other member of my family, but Krieg and the others, I consider them to be my family."

"Then you were sucked into this life."

"I wasn't 'sucked', it was…I fit in. Krieg was the only one that kept giving me chances, because no one else appreciated my temper. Of course, he likes that I hurt people for fun, and he pays me pretty good for it. I consider myself well off."

"I suppose," Sanji said, looking back at his plate and picking up a churro. He examined it for a moment, then licked one of the shallow crevices of it. Tasting the sugar, he popped it in his mouth and sucked off more sugar before examining it once more. Gin stared at him with wide-eyed amazement, blushing. "What is this?"

"C-ch-churro. A churro. Fried – it's fried dough."

Sanji dipped it in the chocolate sauce, then sucked that off, too, biting once it became too soft and doughy. He dipped it into the chocolate sauce once more, then pushed it up against Gin's lips, saying, "Take my delicious dick into your mouth."

Gin slapped it out of his hand with an embarrassed fluster, wiping chocolate from his mouth with a napkin.

Laughing, Sanji set that aside and looked at the generous helping of Spanish rice and vegetables. He took a bite out of that, then another, approving of the flavor. "What's this?"

Gin told him, glaring at his dish as Sanji's teasing left an uncomfortable effect on him. The woman from behind the counter asked him if Sanji was his date, and he gave a short reply. The woman laughed, then looked at the door as the bells chimed musically. Her happy expression faded as men known to belong to a local gang filed in, talking loudly amongst themselves. Gin frowned at them, knowing who they were, and they knew who he was. Sanji didn't notice all of them staring at each other, too busy guessing what flavors belonged to the dish.

Once the group made their way to the order counter, a couple of the customers left without wanting trouble. The woman was a little quieter and subdued as she took orders, and Gin looked back at Sanji, then at his phone. Picking it up, he saw that Krieg was trying to find him, and he ignored the message.

"What is this?" Sanji asked him, looking at his plate, and touching the enchilada with his fork.

"This is mine. If you wanted one, you should've asked for one," Gin said firmly, holding his plate away from him, Sanji frowning at him.

"I just asked what it was! You know what, you bastard, save yourself the trouble. Just give me a fucking bite of it, that's all I'm asking."

"You have your own plate!"

"I'm your fucking date, you owe me some kindness."

"That is so messed up that you even said that! So far, you've given me a Fleshlight, told me to follow _your_ rules, demanded that I pay when it was you who asked me out, and then - !"

Sanji laughed uproariously because he _was_ being unfair, and this drew the attention of the men at the counter, looking over with confused and then sudden understanding as they took in the sight. Gin glared at them, and while most of them turned away, two of them were a little bolder. They glared right back.

"No trouble," the woman said in their language, shaking her head.

"I admit, I'm being an ass," Sanji said, looking at his plate and cutting carefully into a tamale, sampling a small bite. "This is new. Beef. The sauce is just a little spicy – what is this, mixture here?"

"Pico de gallo," Gin answered absently, feeling his temper rise as two men continued to stare.

"Is this dish part of your culture?" Sanji asked curiously, grabbing a flour tortilla and examining the shape of it, tasting the edge with his tongue before taking a bite. "Mm. Is this fried?"

"Do you have to lick everything before you eat it?"

"Don't watch me. What are these?"

" _Flautas_. Eat them like this," Gin instructed, distracted from the stare down to concentrate on the task.

Sanji crunched down on the tightly rolled tortillas, then dipped it in the guacamole provided. He ended up licking his fingers, and Gin just watched with mounting frustration. " _Mm_. Chicken. It's spicy, too."

He looked over at Gin, then stuffed the rest of it into his mouth. "Eat it."

With impatience, Gin growled, "You are one demanding – "

"You call me a 'bitch', and I'll make _you_ my bitch."

"You're so fucking mouthy!"

"And you've never had a problem with it," Sanji pointed out. "What's with you and enjoying it?"

"Okay, look, let's be serious. Why are you doing this?" Gin then asked him, chewing while he looked at Sanji suspiciously. "Where's Law? I keep expecting him to show up and making me disappear somewhere weird."

Sanji shrugged, dipping a forkful of stolen enchilada into the pico de gallo. It was hard for Gin to look away from the way the man ate – moving his mouth slowly, taking his time to savor each bite with thoughtful concentration, making Gin imagine of how it would move around _other_ objects. "I don't know. But all I know is that I have a month to 'experiment' with other men."

Gin looked at him with a frown. "So he gave you some sort of 'hall pass'?"

Sanji shrugged. "It's complicated."

Gesturing with his fork, Gin snapped, "You know how fucking rude that is? Obviously, I had this thing for you since high school, and when you're suddenly available, it's only because it's some sort of revenge on him?"

"He told me to," Sanji said with a 'hmf'. "He told me to enjoy the company of other men."

Gin frowned at him again. "I'm still insulted."

"Should I leave?"

"No, no." Gin cut through a piece of his chicken tamale, mixed with homemade salsa, and made to feed Sanji with it. Sanji took it from him, pulling at the contents with his teeth while making eye contact with him. "You fucking _tease_."

"I think you do this to yourself," Sanji told him after chewing. "There's nothing about me that deserves your attention. I've always treated you like shit."

"I guess I like it, because no one else treats me that way. They're all afraid of me. So, Sanji, what happens if you _do_ like being single?" Gin asked, cutting through his shredded beef _chimichanga_ and waving it in front of him. Once Sanji took the bite, using his tongue to take away every bit, Gin reached over and brushed sauce from his mouth with his thumb, causing Sanji to jerk away.

He pushed the table up against Gin, who grunted as he pushed it back into place. "Quite honestly, it's no one else's business what I want with my life. I thought I was happy."

"I'd treat you like a king, to be honest. I'd love to pamper you with all the things you never knew you wanted, and always put you first."

"Sweet, but that's already been done for me."

"Fine. I'd treat you like trash and mistreat you and make you give it up whenever I wanted – "

"Why do you always take it too far? Ass. Give me another bite of that."

"Why are you such a tease?" Gin complained, reaching over and removing a piece of rice from Sanji's chin.

Sanji turned his head and bit his finger, causing Gin to retract his hand with a startled curse. "No touching!"

Looking away with a grin, Gin saw that the men were still watching them. His temper rose again as one of them made an obscene gesture towards Sanji. His friends tried to turn him away, but being that he was new to the area, not yet knowing who Gin was, the guy was only trying to establish his dominance in the world with tempting Gin into a confrontation.

Sanji looked up, realized that Gin wasn't even paying attention to him. Once he realized the staring confrontation occurring, he frowned. The man caught sight of him and tensed. He gave him a look of disgust. Sanji's eye twitched, and he dropped his fork over his plate.

"The fuck you looking at?" he asked, rising from his seat.

"What's this? Date night?" one of them asked, turning to face them as his comrades cringed, Gin's face changing with expression as he rose from his bench. "Gin? You're _gay_? You had to borrow one from your own team?"

"No trouble!" the woman pleaded.

Sanji stepped out from the table with a red face. "What of it?"

"What you going to do?" the man asked, stepping towards him while his friends looked at Gin with uncertainty, stepping back to allow him the confrontation on his own.

"Giving you one chance to take it back," Sanji said while the bigger man faced him, hand in his jacket. "Jerk off. Shit face."

The man made to draw, but Sanji's foot was quicker – striking out and catching him across the head. Before the man could fall, he followed up with a spinning back kick that sent him flying out the door like a rag doll. He looked at the others to see if they wanted a piece of the action as well.

"Anybody else with anything to say?" he snapped, all of them shaking their heads and avoiding eye contact, returning to the counter with sheepish postures. Sanji returned to his seat, Gin leaning chin on palm as he watched the man sit down with a huff. "What were you saying?"

"Absolutely nothing," Gin commented, holding up a chocolate covered churro. "Open up."

"Hell with you. I'm a strong, independent man, I can take care of myself," Sanji snapped, taking the churro from him and taking a bite out of it. "Let's go for a walk. And tell me about this part of town. Why are you so familiar with it? And everyone treats you kindly, what do you do for them with that face?"

"My face has nothing to do with it!" Gin complained, leaving behind a large bill for the grandmother standing at the doorway to take. He followed after Sanji, looking at the group that refused to make eye contact with him. "Wait outside, I'm going to go wash my hands."

Sanji stepped on the man that was lying on the sidewalk, then headed for the car parked nearby. The street was active with small shops, with blasting music that had cheery trumpets, enthusiastic beats and men's voices that sang grandly in their language. Down the sidewalk, some kids on bikes played in front of a dress shop, and an elderly woman with a group of dogs on leashes walked slowly across the street, to some men waving and calling out to her from a tire shop. He watched everything with a light smile on his face, enjoying the familiarity everyone had with each other. He thought he heard gunshots, but the tire shop was pretty active, so he didn't pay it any mind. When Gin finally emerged from the shop, he looked a little disheveled, and he straightened out his tie, adjusted his collar.

"This is Krieg's territory, right?" Sanji asked, looking over at a few of the dogs barking nearby. He looked back at Gin for an answer, and saw that he was just leaving the suddenly motionless man on the sidewalk. Sanji looked at him suspiciously. "What did you just do?"

" _Yes_ , this is Krieg's territory. All this and across the bridge," Gin added, wiping his hands on his pants.

Sanji studied him for a few moments. "Was that blood?"

"No."

"I heard gunshots."

"There's a tire shop nearby, you probably just heard - "

Sanji reached over and grabbed his tie, showing him a blood spatter at the corner. "Really? You're _killing_ people while on a date? What's _wrong_ with you? You're the one telling me I'm wrong for my method, but _you're_ the one - !"

Gin snatched his own tie from Sanji's grasp. "Look! I take care of my people, okay? There's a reason why I have this rep! I don't tolerate shit like that, alright? Plus, they pissed me off letting that guy talk for them."

Sanji then shrugged, reaching out to fix his collar, adjust the lapels of his jacket while Gin glared at him for being so touchy when he couldn't return the favor. "Well, whatever, I suppose I can see it your way, considering that they were packing heat, and all."

"See, you're a cool guy. You get that aspect of things. Why don't your friends?" Gin asked, opening Sanji's door for him, and receiving a kick for it. "OW! _Goddamn_ it! Why are you kicking me?"

"Don't open my door for me! I can do it myself!" Sanji snapped at him, shutting the door, then opening it himself, climbing in. "I'm not a fucking helpless person, I can wipe my own ass!"

Gin looked up at the sky, asking for patience. As they drove off, Lucci stepped out from the nearby alleyway with a frown. He went to investigate the shop for himself, then texted Krieg about the responsibilities he had for making sure his guys didn't step out of the killing lines. Krieg then responded with a 'Where is he?'

Lucci then signaled for the Buick to pick him up, to follow after the BMW.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: AND DONE! Story is edited and ready for new additions!**

 **Chapter Fourteen**

"So that's it," Sanji said, chewing on his fingernail as he surveyed the area from the hillside, the city lights glittering ahead of them. Both of them were standing on a grassy knoll just over a hill that ran down a grassy lengthways to a divided highway below. Beyond that was a series of neighborhoods of low income persons, part of the area Krieg ruled over. "But I don't understand why Krieg is so possessive of those neighborhoods if they're underdeveloped. It would make more sense if he pushed for more development."

"Easy recruitment standards, Sanji," Gin told him, standing next to him as he looked over those neighborhoods with a grim frown. "Their lives now are hard, but family is important. If they feel they can find a family in a gang, then that's what's going to happen. That's how I found mine with Krieg. He's like a father I never had, so I'm faithful to him for giving me every chance he could give – he might be the biggest prick in the lot, but I'd die for him. Also, he contributes to the city schools – like, he volunteered for that aspect. If they're overcrowded, he pushes for solutions. He also gives these areas a chance to be recognized for city repairs and the like when they need it. They might look underdeveloped, but he takes good care of them. I respect that, which is why I fight for him."

"I understand," Sanji said, because he truly did. "But you're basically threatening and blackmailing these people into working for you by earning their trust by 'protecting' them, with the understanding that they'd join Krieg's army when they're of age…?"

"That's the way the world works. If they don't like it, they can move."

"I see," Sanji said thoughtfully. "This world isn't that complicated. Everyone has to contribute to something along the lines. It's a shame that innocents are drawn in no matter what."

"What was it Krieg said that Zeff always said? 'Contained', not eliminated," Gin said, admiring the man's form. Those long legs of his were absolutely distracting, as well as that ass that shouldn't be there. It was too round, too perky for a man as skinny as he was. "As long as everyone is giving back, then it's fine, right? That's what this is about. The syndicates are allowed to roam if they're giving back to the city. But I'm starting to wonder about these new rules. You guys abandoned the effort way too easily."

"Because we knew you all would be bitching about something sooner or later," Sanji said, turning to face him as he dug his cigarettes out of his blazer pocket. "Then you'd be crying for us to return."

"Not going to happen. Krieg is satisfied with the service," Gin said with a sneer, reaching into his pocket with a lighter. "Come here."

"Don't order me around." But Sanji did so, figuring there was no harm in the action. He kept his distance from Gin as he lit his cigarette, and once the ember burned, he turned away to exhale with relaxing action.

"Even if he's satisfied, I still think there's something more to it," Gin said, pocketing the lighter, looking for an opening as Sanji gave his back, too busy reflecting over the city to notice his proximity. "I think we're being set up, and I don't like it at all."

"The bakery does have different intentions," Sanji admitted vaguely. "They're not ones to let anything go that easily. If you slip up and step out of line, they're going to swoop in out of nowhere and beat you back into it."

"You have experience with that, personally?" Gin asked him, reaching out to touch the small of his back, but Sanji stepped away as he caught sight of an airplane making its way up through the light polluted sky.

"We're familiar with how they work," Sanji said, dropping ashes nearby. "That's why we're so confident."

"You? Or them?" Gin asked, reaching out to grab him again, but Sanji suddenly crouched to wipe dirt from his shoe, straightening up to step away from him once he realized how close Gin was to him.

" _Us_."

"Look, if it helps any, I'm not the only one that smells a rat in this business. There are others that feel the same way. I think it's important to maintain a safe distance from those people without giving them everything."

Sanji looked at him with consideration. "It's weird that you speak of this so freely with me, especially considering how I'll be riding the line with you later on."

"That's not the only thing you should be riding on," Gin said with a leer.

"My boyfriend's dick does it for me just fine."

"You're such a jerk! Why even go out on a date with me if you had no intention of sleeping with me? That's the whole point of a goddamn date!"

"I'm not an easy fellow," Sanji said with a snobby sniff. "I don't just jump into bed with everyone that looks at me sideways."

"Why not? Everyone else does!"

"Oh my god, you're so desperate! Have some pride in yourself, man!"

"I have a ton of pride, which is why I demand that you at least - !"

Caught by some headlights down the hill, Sanji was distracted by a line of cars cruising the divided highway.

"Is that your boss?" he asked, Gin looking over with a frown. He cringed.

" _Shit_. He found me. I swear I checked my stuff for a tracker," he said, whirling back to the car with a look of frustration.

Sanji looked at him with amusement. "Krieg keeps close tabs on you like this? Doesn't this make you feel suffocated?"

"He can be a little clingy. Damn. Let's go, I can get you back to the park before he realizes that you're with me."

Sanji shrugged, flicking his cigarette away. As Gin made to walk away, Sanji reached out, grabbed the belt loop of his pants. Then he leaned in and kissed Gin's cheek with a sound smooch before pushing him away. "Thanks for tonight, dick head. It was real interesting. I actually had a good time."

"That's _it_? That's all I get?"

"You ask for more, and I will disable this car and let Krieg catch you," Sanji threatened before climbing into the car and slamming the door shut. Then locked it so Gin had to open it with his keypad, grumbling.

"Worst date _ever_ ," he mumbled.

From the shadows, Lucci wondered if he were taking it too far. After all, it wasn't like Sanji was _his_ in any way – he must've overreacted. He looked at his phone with a small frown, seeing that the texts he'd sent to Krieg was just a series of tattle tailing. Then he shrugged and signaled for the Buick as the BMW smoothly left the curb.

: :

"How was it?" Chopper asked curiously as Sanji walked in, removing his blazer.

"Not that big of a deal," Sanji said, looking at Zoro, who looked at him curiously.

"I thought you were just going to the store to pick up a few things," Zoro said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I didn't. I had a date."

"A _date_?" Zoro repeated incredulously, eye widening slightly. "What's that mean? You had a _date_? I thought you said Law left so he could heal, and you can live on your own, for awhile. There was no mention of you stepping out with other people. Is he going to have a problem with that?"

"He told me, to. Zeff told me too. Apparently everyone in the world thinks that there's someone better than Law at this point – Law included – and I'm looking for this supposedly fascinating person," Sanji said, sitting on the couch with a flounce.

"Who was it?"

"Gin."

"' _Gin'_?" Zoro repeated in that same incredulous tone. "What the hell is the matter with you? Yeah, I know he's got a huge crush on you, but is that really something you should be encouraging?"

"Like I said! I hate that I'm being told that everything I had wasn't good enough!"

"But _Gin_? When we take over again, will this be a damn problem?"

"No," Sanji assured him.

"You're not a goddamn teenager, moron! Just because certain people are upset with your life choices, it doesn't mean you go overboard with them! Did you even think this one through?"

"I did. And there are benefits to what I'm doing," Sanji said.

"Look, if you're going to start this, you need to realize what you're jumping into," Zoro said sternly. "Even if it's only for a month, and you start dating all these guys, when Law comes back, there's definitely going to be words had. You think even he would feel okay with this, you dating known members of the syndicates? They're all going to say something to him."

"I, frankly, don't give a shit. This was his specific instruction – date other men while he's gone. He didn't specify _what_ ones, or which ones I couldn't," Sanji said tightly. "And, besides, I'm doing this to the benefit of all of us."

Giving him an impatient look, Zoro asked, "How is this beneficial to all of us?"

"You'll see."

Worried, Chopper frowned at Sanji. "Dating….this is about getting to know another man romantically, right? Does this mean you don't love Law, anymore?"

"I love him more than anything – he's the one I want. But we have history, Chopper. And if he's going to tell me to do something, especially something like this, it won't make him happy until I prove what an ass he's being about it."

"Don't be so bitter and vindictive," Zoro commented, running a hand through his hair with agitation. "It might even come back and bite _you_ in the ass!"

"I'm aware of that aspect," Sanji said with frustration. "But Zeff and Law are so set on me dating others, I _feel_ like being vindictive about it! How dare they tell me what's good for me when I know what's good for me?"

"I just feel you're overreacting, and you're going about things in an entirely different way than you should. I think you should take a step back, see what damage you're causing to Law, and – "

"I know what I'm doing! Honestly, with how judgmental people are towards our relationship, do you think they'd put up the same fuss if I were dating someone else? What is it about Law that gets them twisted? And for him to even listen to them, it's fucking bullshit!" Sanji snapped at him, getting up to walk back to the room. "And I already texted Ace!"

"Texted Ace _what_?" Zoro shouted impatiently with him, reaching out to pat Chopper's head as the reindeer hopped up on the couch with him.

"He's taking me out tomorrow!"

"For fuck's sake…pace yourself! And 'Ace'? Ace is worse than Gin! Sabo's not going to like this," Zoro then muttered to Chopper.

"And if anybody else is interested in going out with me, now's the time."

"Fish, avoid the hook! It can only lead you to trouble! I swear, you just throw yourself into situations to prove a point, and – "

"Old man, until you've lived a day in my shoes - !"

"If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be lending myself out to everyone that looks at me funny!"

"Then _you're_ in charge of picking out my next date!" Sanji shouted from his room.

"I'm not doing this! Hell with you, this is your own decision."

"As my friend, if you don't like what I'm doing, then you fucking do something about it!"

"This is so stupid," Zoro muttered, looking at Chopper. "I'm not playing into your little game!"

"DO IT, or shut up about it!"

"Why am I friends with you?" Zoro complained, pulling out his phone. "Fine. _Shit_. Chopper. Help me pick one."

"Why are you doing this if you don't approve of it?" Chopper asked him, as he opened up his contacts.

"Because if I don't, he's going to do something stupid. He'll probably end up going out with some other loser that looks at him twice, so if I find somebody that might give him a bad time, it'll discourage him from taking any more stupid steps," Zoro muttered. "Ah. Here we go."

Chopper looked up at Zoro with a skeptical expression. "Zoro. I don't think – "

"Shh. How do I ask another guy out for another dude?"

: :

"Ha Ha! This is so great! We can combine families!" Luffy laughed the next day. Both him and Sabo were sitting at the edge of Ace's bed, both of them watching Ace get ready for his date. The man was wearing his best polo shirt over faded jeans, dress shoes, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, and he was currently admiring himself in the mirror. "Imagine it, Sabo! Sanji can cook for us all day, every day! I like Law and all, but I really feel this is awesome for _us_ in the end!"

"This isn't what I'd imagined when I suggested that he look elsewhere, instead of settling!" Sabo growled. "I feel bad for pushing so hard and actually encouraging the man to take off – I guess I didn't think that he'd actually leave Sanji like this. I'm both disappointed _and_ guilty for this."

"Don't bother trying to reach out to him and lecture him," Luffy said. "He might be out of the country, Sanji said, because his phone isn't working. And only Penguin knows how to get ahold of him. Even that bear is gone!"

Ace squirted on his body spray with a vengeance, causing both Sabo and Luffy to erupt into a coughing fit.

"What matters is that Sanji is free, and he wants me to show him a good time!" Ace said.

Luffy crossed his arms over his chest, chuckling. "What do you have planned tonight?"

"Mini-golfing!"

Luffy laughed. "You're taking a short tempered guy to mini golf?"

"He's not _that_ short tempered, is he?" Sabo asked curiously. "I mean, I know he can be impulsive, but – "

"Sabo, it isn't being short tempered, it's being _passionate_ ," Ace corrected. "It's damn hot. You know I love playing with fire!"

Luffy chuckled. "This is going to be great! Can we go with you?"

"You're strangely okay with this," Sabo said, looking at him. "You said you liked Law."

"I do. But Sanji's right – Law wanted him to do this, because people were telling him that Sanji didn't get a chance to do things. So now Sanji's doing things the way people want him too, and people are throwing a fit over it," Luffy explained, causing Sabo to redden with vague shame. "I know Sanji. He's deadset on being with Law forever, but if Law's telling him to do this, too, and not giving him a chance to say 'no', then Sanji will do it to prove a point. He's so petty, I think it's funny."

Ace frowned at him. "But what if, by chance, Sanji realizes he's missing out on the world, and decides he that mingling is better?"

Luffy shook his head. "Nope. I know Sanji. This is the only chance you'll have with him."

"You could be more supportive of me!" Ace yelled at him, throwing the bodyspray at him. " _I'm_ in love with him!"

Sabo snorted, rising up from the bed. "Whatever. The only love you have is for food. Here, I have some singles. But I swear, Ace, if you _do_ take him to the strip club, I'll never forgive you for being hurt."

"Look, all I'm saying is, if he'd hooked up with Nami before, he's testing bisexual boundaries. What better way to see if he still feels someway about women then taking him to a strip club?" Ace asked, taking the wad from him, tucking it into his backpocket.

"I think it's so funny that you're telling him not to do that, and yet you're giving him money, Sabo," Luffy laughed.

Sabo reddened.

: :

Lucci looked at his Apple watch, then watched as Sanji left his condo, throwing on a green jacket. He was dressed in jeans, sneakers and a shirt that looked a size too big for him – suggesting that it might be one of Law's – and he was already puffing on a cigarette. His sunglasses hid whatever expression he was wearing, so when he stalked past the Buick, Lucci couldn't tell what Sanji was thinking. He paused and looked back at the sound of a shout, and it was Zoro waving something at him from the stairway.

"Chopper said you might need this!" Zoro hollered, throwing it to him.

Once Sanji caught the item, he asked dryly, "And what the hell do I need with bear mace?"

"Chopper's worried about those bear hugs Ace gives."

"ZORO!"

"I'm just doing what he asked, don't yell at me!"

Sanji threw the mace aside and walked off with a shake of his head, and Zoro returned to the condo with a laugh, neither of them noticing the man in black watching them.

: :

"Hi, gorgeous!" Ace greeted him, revving his car a few times. The ugly white sedan with various dents, rusted bumper and a back seat full of discarded shoes, skateboards and drink holders made Sanji hesitate. There was the thought of spiders, cockroaches and mice hiding in there, but he didn't see anything indicating of it.

But then he thought of how much fun Luffy described with his brothers in this thing, and he thought the mess looked charming. He climbed in cautiously, smelling weed, air freshener and fried food with onions. In the middle console was a giant roll of mailing tape, pencils missing erasers, toys from Happy Meals.

Ace leaned over to kiss him but Sanji quickly pushed him back into his seat. "Aw, frosty already?"

"No touching," Sanji warned him, looking for the seatbelt and finding none. Then he looked around himself, shifting about to retrieve something that was stabbing him in the ass. He held up a chopstick, then tossed it on the floor. "I have some rules, Ace."

"'Rules'?"

"Yes. No hugging, no kissing, no groping, no licking, no smooching, no accidental swipes, no 'accidental' groping, no – "

Ace gave him a dismayed frown. "What's the point of this date?"

"That's the interesting part," Sanji said, biting his lower lip before looking nervous. "I have no responsibilities or obligations, so…I sort of don't feel the need to be restrained from…look, to be honest, do you have weed?"

The silence in the car was a little awkward, as Ace gave him a surprised look. "Are you wired? Are you working with law enforcement?" Ace asked suspiciously.

"No, dumb ass. Look, I never tried it before, I might as well, now. So…"

"You want to get high."

"I do. That's life experience, isn't it? Getting…getting high…like, doing drugs. All the recreational drugs that…that one can do. Getting wasted…."

"Oh, _indeed_! Yes! That's a very awesome suggestion! Let's go!"

"There are still rules to this."

"Rules, scmules, we're going to get wild and crazy, today! Look, after that, we'll go mini-golfing. It'll be great!"

"I don't know," Sanji said skeptically, feet on the dash as Ace tore out from the parking lot. "Getting that tiny ball into a small hole?"

"That's what he said! Hah!"

: :

When they arrived at the mini-golf slash water amusement park, both of them looked around blearily. Smoke left the car before either could shut their doors, and Sanji took a moment to adjust to this odd sensation of opaque weightlessness as Ace rounded the front of the car, smiling lazily at him. Sanji stood there, touching his own face, certain it wasn't there – he had the overwhelming urge to curl up in the backseat of the car and go to sleep.

"C'mon, pretty boy, let's do some golfing!" Ace said cheerily, pulling him along behind him. Sanji only allowed the contact because he felt uneven, and he was positive that he wasn't breathing right. He inhaled and exhaled steadily, as if he were in full marathon mode – then realized what he was doing, giggling. He stopped himself immediately, snickered, giggled again, then stopped, looking from side to side to see if anyone were listening to him from the decorative bushes nearby.

"Am I giggling?" he asked aloud, Ace looking back at him with a wide grin.

"All I hear is fun from you," he assured Sanji, grasping his fingers within his.

Sanji continued to breathe in that same manner, then burst out laughing, hand over his mouth. "I'm not even _swimming_!"

"God, it's been so long since I've hung out with a first-timer," Ace admitted, reaching the window and paying for a single round. Sanji stood there next to him, looking at the families that were having fun in the fenced in area. He wanted to giggle, even though he was pretty sure he hadn't giggled, _ever_ , in his adult life. Biting his lips inward, he surveyed the parking lot, then let Ace grab him again, leading him into the shop to pick out their clubs. Once they were outside, and they had their turn coming up, Ace leaned in and broke a rule, taking advantageous of Sanji's extremely lethargic state. It was a short peck, but Sanji started snickering, punching him in the gut with a hard uppercut that hurt his hand and knocked Ace's breath from him.

Ace bent over before Sanji took his turn first – setting the ball down atop of the green, then swinging for everything he was worth, missing it entirely. He laughed humorously before he composed himself, Ace straightening slightly with a tense expression. He started to wonder if getting the other man high was a good thing – while he definitely wasn't as uptight as he was in the car, Ace hoped he wouldn't regret showing Sanji this side of a 'good time'.

" _I can do this_!" Sanji said with determination.

"You got this," Ace said with encouragement, rubbing his sore gut. Sanji missed again, that lethargic expression slowly leaving his features as he glared down at the ball. Grinning, Ace suggested, "Talk to it. They listen."

Sanji's eyes widened as he looked from him to the ball. Looking at it with consideration, Ace could practically hear him make various thought connections in that head of his.

"Just hit it."

Sanji looked down at the ball, tongue between his lips, then tried again. He missed by a foot, so he ended up throwing the club out the fence, picked up the ball, and tossed it into the left hole, much to the judgment of the family waiting their turn. Ace quickly booped his, handed Sanji his club, then went after Sanji's like a dog released from his leash. Sanji went ahead to go find his ball, and ended up wandering away from the second green, spying a large gentlemen in a Santa sweater trying to coax his bright pink ball into the waterfall obstacle.

"Hi," he said cheerily, leaning on Ace's club. The man looked at him with a confused expression, unsure of whether or not Sanji was talking to him. "I like your mustache. How long did it take for you to grow it?"

"About fifteen years."

"Can I feel it?"

" _No_."

"Why?"

"Because it's personal."

"But if you're growing it for everyone to see, then it's not really personal. Just let me run my finger over it – "

"Sorry! _Sorry_! He's a foreigner!" Ace apologized, grabbing Sanji by the waist and carrying him back to the second green. "My god, you're a troublemaker. Look, let me show you how to hit a ball."

"Pft, I already know how," Sanji said, trying to swat his groin with a laugh.

"DON'T HIT MINE! C'mere," Ace said, forcing him to stand in front of him, reaching around to assist him. He leaned in to smell Sanji's hair and neck, nuzzling him for a few seconds. "Mmm, you smell nice and yummy. You're so soft."

"CONCENTRATE - !" Sanji straightened up, looking at him with a frown. "Why do you think they write those on orange juice boxes?"

Ace laughed, reaching around him again. " _Settle_ , big thinker. Let's hit the ball. The family behind us is going to hate us, pretty soon."

"I'm serious. _Wait_. Goddamn it, let me do this. This is something I need to do by myself!" Sanji declared, pushing him away before he resettled back into the position Ace had just showed him. When he hit the ball, he didn't hit it hard enough. So he hit it again, and the ball careened off the cement border walls, ricocheted right back, forcing him to duck – it bounced off the kid standing there, watching impatiently. Ace looked at the kid with a horrified expression. He quickly tossed his ball into the hole, then led Sanji away from there before the father could confront them.

"This was a horrible idea," Sanji admitted. "This is doing nothing for me. I don't even feel it. So why the appeal?"

Ace laughed. "You don't 'feel' it? Then you're like this all the time?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're high as a freaking kite! And don't tell anybody I did this with you, or Sabo will get mad at me," Ace said, finger to his lips as he hit both of their golf balls into the designated tunnel.

"Pft, _Sabo_ ," Sanji waved off the name. He looked down at his shoes, growing dizzy. "I think I'm too tall. I'm too far off the ground to be comfortable."

Ace lead the way to the next green. They had to wait their turn. Sanji looked at Ace, studying him for a moment, Ace looking at him curiously. "You're a funny looking motherfuc – "

"God, you're _mean_!" Ace exclaimed, reaching over and running his hands through his hair. With how compliant Sanji was in his arms, giggling to himself as he poked at his freckles, Ace leaned in to kiss him again. Short, impersonal pecks, because he knew Sanji would slap him or something if he pushed for more. "Aren't you submissive with a little green? Just think of the things I can convince you to do – let's go get a beer!"

"I'm twenty-one, now!" Sanji said with a raise of his arms. "Let's go get a beer!"

"A _beer_!" Ace cheered, picking him up and tossing him over his shoulder, the family looking at them with disgusted expressions.

"You're so touchy! Stop touching me - wait, does that mean we're done, here?" Sanji asked, throwing the club away, much to Ace's horror. "Did I win? I'm never playing this game again, I don't have the patience for it."

"I think we're banned from here, to be honest," Ace said, climbing over the fence and making their way to the parking lot, back to his car. "That's okay. They'll forget our faces in a couple of weeks."

Before they climbed into the car, Ace helped him to a second round. By this time, Sanji was loaded off his feet, eyes gazing off into the distance as Ace saved the last of it for another time. Then he helped Sanji to his seat, activated the child locks on the side of the door, and then hastily returned to the driver's side. They were off in a flash, headed towards a bar just down the road.

Once there, Ace had to drag Sanji after him, as he seemed to have lost control of his legs. Outside of the bar, he took a quick selfie of them, tagged the place, then pulled him inside.

A shot and ten minutes later, he had him under one arm, racing for the car as a group of men charged after them with angry shouts and threats. Bar stools were thrown after them, as well as various glasses and bottles. Sanji laughed wickedly, Ace looking horrified as he tossed him into the car, climbed in after him, and quickly pulled out from the parking lot.

"You're the _worst_ date I've ever had!" he exclaimed, hearing glass shatter against his trunk, back bumper. "I've never had this much trouble with a guy! You're like one of my bros, man!"

"I am so sleepy, I'm going to take a nap right here," Sanji said, resting his head in his lap. He closed his eyes, Ace patting his hair absently as he headed onto the freeway. Not even five minutes later, Sanji was snoring, and Ace shook his head. He didn't want to take him home because he knew Zoro would lecture the hell out of him, so he drove to a pier overlooking the harbor. Once there, he saw a bunch of fishermen celebrating their catches of the day, so he checked to make sure Sanji was still sleeping, then left him there, calling out with a cheerful greeting to the fishermen that invited him over. He left his keys in the ignition because he felt he wasn't going to be gone that long.

Ten minutes later, Sanji lifted his head, taking in his surroundings. He had no idea where he was. He sat there, hair tousled, and tried to remember what exactly he had been doing before this all happened. Then he extended his tongue, trying to look at it, certain there was pieces of cotton there.

"This is unbecoming of a person like you," Lucci said from the open window, frowning down at him. Sanji looked up at him with some consideration, sure he wasn't looking at the man, but realizing slowly that he actually was. It made him feel a mixture of things, but he couldn't decide which, at the moment.

He reached up to fiddle with his hair, to put it back in some sort of order, then wiped his face. He felt so out of it, out of touch with his strength and resolve. It took him a few moments to get some coherent thoughts together, realizing that he was actually looking at the man that had ruined things for him.

Sanji reached over and tried to roll the window up, but it wasn't easy, considering that his arms were made of rubber. He then scowled at the task.

Lucci lifted an eyebrow once Sanji reached over and locked the door. _Then_ rolled the window up. Crawling over Ace's seat, he left the car through the open window – not even thinking about the door. Lucci rounded the hood of the car, looking at him with a serious frown, Hattori fluttering briefly at his shoulder.

"What did you say, by the way?" Sanji asked, using the car to pull himself up from the pavement, wary of the lack of strength in his legs. He took a moment to assess the physical disparities in his current state. There was no way he could fight, so he'd need all the wits he could gather just to make it through this encounter. He cursed his enthusiasm to experience 'life'. "What the hell are you doing, are you following me?"

"I was in the area."

"You were not. You were following me! Looking for Law? Hey, if you find him, tell him I'm looking for him, too, damn it."

"Oh? Is this why you're acting out like a child?"

"I'm not acting out, I'm _living_ ," Sanji corrected nastily. He kicked out at him, then realized what a bad decision that was, considering he lacked proper balance. "And it's your fucking fault that he's gone!"

With a smirk, Lucci said, "It was only a small bite."

"You ass! It was nearly severed!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have chewed so hard if he wasn't messing up my insides with his little parlor tricks."

Sanji hadn't seen all of Law's 'parlor tricks', but he remembered Penguin saying something about him messing up Lucci's insides at the encounter. His eyes dropped to the other man's chest, considering what sort of damage was done, vaguely embarrassed about it because he noticed Lucci was watching him do so. And _damn_ if that stare of his didn't do something to Sanji's insides. It was frustrating just how his skin prickled at the man's nearness again, feeling a mixture of outrage and arousal, which caused great confusion in him. Should a person feel that way about another?

"You guys aren't supposed to be killing each other, you know. There are rules to this sort of thing, and I suspect _you_ were the one to go to the throat, first," Sanji said with a stern wave of his finger. Then he pointed out with it, touching his goatee with a concentrating expression. "How do you get your hairs to do this?"

"Could you not touch me?" Lucci asked, forcing his hand from his face, Hattori pecking at him.

"No…seriously… _how_? Because when I try to grow mine, it does this straggly thing where it looks like Shaggy's from Scooby Doo – "

"Concentrate on the goddamn conversation – _are you high_?" Lucci asked suspiciously, smelling him, and then frowning. "You're _high_."

"Shh, Sabo might find out, then Ace will be in trouble," Sanji whispered, finger over his lips. He reached out, petting Lucci's long strands of hair, smoothing it over his chest with rather intrusive action. Then patted him gently, looking up at him with a lazy smile. "Look, lez be honest… _let's_ be honest."

Lucci gave him a look of true disgust, turning away. "Weak minded idiot."

He paused with an expression of irritation as Sanji grabbed handfuls of his hair and placed it over his own head, as if it were a wig.

"I'm such a pretty girl!" he exclaimed in a high falsetto, laughing as he leaned back against him.

Hattori fluttered away from Lucci's shoulder, squawking noisily as he made to peck at the man for touching Lucci in such a way. Sanji took cover back into Ace's car as Lucci turned to look at him with growing displeasure. Hattori landed on the car's roof, huffing as Sanji straightened up in the driver's seat. Looking up at Lucci, he started the engine, finding the gear shift.

"Don't do it," Lucci warned him, but Sanji put the car in reverse, the sedan sputtering once before jerking back. Hattori fluttered back onto his shoulder, and both of them watched as Sanji drove away.

"Stupid idiot," Lucci cursed, walking back to the Buick. To the driver, he said, "Follow that fucking car and get it off the road."

The driver nodded, pedal to the floor as they quickly caught up. Before it could leave the harbor driveway, the driver pushed the Buick's front bumper against the back bumper, forcing it into a spin. As it came to a stop, Sanji sitting there with a startled look to his face as he found himself facing the harbor, Lucci left the back seat. He reached in, snagged the keys from the ignition, and threw them into the harbor waters, much to Sanji's horror.

"And to think I almost respected you," Lucci snapped at him.

"High and mighty asshole!" Sanji snapped back, crawling out from the open window, stumbling once he was on pavement. "All of you people have shit to say about the way I live! Even you! You fucked up my boyfriend's arm! You ran him out of town! Well, not entirely, he's his own ass, but _you_ did this! What did you tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"You said something to him that pissed him off. You said something to him about…"

"… _About_?" Lucci pressed, lifting an eyebrow.

Sanji looked away because now he wasn't sure how to approach the subject again, without putting a little more punch into it. This loss of wits made him feel powerless. He decided then and there he would not do any more recreational drugs _ever_ again. He drew a hand up to bite on his nails, unconsciously gnawing at them as he wondered where his cigarettes were. "Uh…well…"

"About the way you've looked at me?"

"I didn't look at you in any way!"

"Right. Well, I basically told on you, and he didn't like it very much. That's when he grew…stabby stabby."

Sanji stared at him for a few moments, sputtered, then closed his mouth with both hands.

"Did you just…giggle?"

"You said 'stabby stabby' with a straight face. How can you expect me to have a straight face after that?"

" _Idiot_."

"Look, I know it doesn't matter to you, but it matters to me. I made a mistake," Sanji said carefully, rubbing his arms as the chill in the air registered. "So, for you to go and say that to Law, to make him feel insecure -"

"So he left because _he_ was feeling threatened? And I care about that sort of thing? That's something he needs to fix for himself, and blaming others for it isn't the most responsible thing either of you could do."

He was right, and Sanji felt childish for believing otherwise. Sanji searched for things to say, but his mind wasn't firing in all the right places. He chewed at the inside of his cheek, then drew his ring finger to his mouth to chew on that nail.

"Stop drawing attention to your mouth. I've already noticed it," Lucci told him.

Flushing, Sanji stood there and wondered what to do with that observation. Of course, he couldn't help but look at the older man's mouth, too, a little lost in curiosity as common sense left him. He told himself he should be focused on the conversation, not wondering about what that mouth could do to his -

He put his hands up hastily, sensing movement before it actually happened. A predatory smile made those full lips curve, and Sanji was captivated by them, feeling his heart race. His entire body noticed it, and he leaned back up against the car as he realized just how close the man was to him. He felt weak in the knees, much like how he felt when Law first kissed him those years ago. That helpless awareness that both intrigued him and scared him because he didn't know how to handle it.

" _Stop_ ," he said shakily, startled at close the man was to him. How much taller he was to him, compared to Law. Skinnier, but definitely stronger than them both. It was both frightening and arousing at the same time. The flat of his palms settled against the older man's chest, and Sanji was scared at that moment – because he was touching someone else, and he _liked_ it.

"How can you go from a determined mouse to a shaking mouse the moment you realize a man desires you? You showed no such thing to Gin, yesterday, and he is more aggressive than I am," Lucci stated. "Is it because you're closer in age?"

"I know what Gin is about," Sanji replied evenly, drawing back from him, bumping against the car. "I can deal with that. With you, I don't know what's happening. I don't know whether you want to gut me, or kiss me."

"Definitely both."

"N-now, that's not romantic, I think we need to work on our phrases – "

"So you want me to say something romantic and silly while I'm up against you like this? That's nonsense," Lucci nearly purred, his free hand on Sanji's waist, fingers pushing up against cloth and skin before moving upward. Sanji turned red-faced and near putty at that moment. Obviously wrestling with himself on whether to accept the touch or flee from it. "I'm just going to take what I desire, because it's better being straight forward – "

" _No_ ," Sanji said, reaching between them to stop his hand – then lingering there. Allowing the man to entangle their fingers together, and it was such a strange feeling, touching another man like this, feeling him touch him like this. When it was _only_ Law, _Law_ was the only one to touch him, to trap him like this, and why was he so weak against men that did this to him?

Lucci leaned in as Sanji made to look down, and those lips pressed against his cheek, and Sanji tensed, unable to move because they were softer than they looked, and he really enjoyed the sensation of them against his flesh. He froze, breath caught in a tight chest, fingers tightening unconsciously as the man's mouth moved from his cheek to the very corner of his mouth, and he wrestled with himself – to pull away, to stay, to enjoy, to hate it –

He felt teeth close in on his bottom lip with a hard pinch, and he made to yell before the man actually kissed him, absorbing the sound, and it was everything Sanji thought it would be; hard, insistent and soft at the same time, eating up anything Sanji intended to say or do. His stomach lurched, but he gave in because it was already done, and there was no point fighting it, anymore. Law left him, told him to enjoy other men. He didn't think it'd be this one, the one that had him leaving in the first place.

Another bite had him giving a sound, his free hand going up to either push or pull the man, and settling instead in his hair. He kissed him back, a lighter press of his lips, tentative at first because he couldn't believe he was doing this. He felt so light headed, so lost, and this action was the only thing he could do. Lucci's mouth moved over his with hard presses until he pulled away, licking the length of his upper lip, Sanji opening up for him, eager to take him in.

He didn't venture that far, though, pulling away to run his fingers over Sanji's throat, down his chest before settling over the width of his waist, squeezing his hipbone. If Sanji's dick hadn't taken notice before, it definitely did now. He uttered a low moan, lost in the sensations that crashed around him. His fingers tightened in his hair, pressing open mouthed kisses to the man's sharp jawline, licking the strong flutter of his pulse there. Smelling of salt and something alcoholic.

" _Mmm_ you taste delicious," he murmured, licking and then biting just enough to have Lucci hiss slightly, pulling away once Sanji's teeth registered in the soft flesh of his throat. His hands ventured down, holding tight onto Sanji's hips, fingers digging into jeans and bone, pushing him up against the car. His eyes changed shape, the smell of the smaller man getting to him. He was so open and eager, and it would be easy to take it all, but Hattori was cooing insistently from nearby. Probably to tell him that he was changing shape, having grown slightly larger, fur visible on his arms and hands.

He jerked away with a growl, frustrated at the unexpected change of form because of his excitement. Turning his back to Sanji, he willed himself back to man form, scowling at his reflection in the Buick's back window. Now that he was paying attention, he realized he'd attacked the man in full view of nearby fishermen and the driver, and while he wasn't embarrassed, it just wasn't the place to do such things.

He looked back at Sanji to see him looking dazed, wiping at his swollen mouth with shaking fingers. Before either could say anything, there was a vague shout in the distance.

"Sanji!" Ace hollered, Sanji looking in that direction with a startled expression, coming back to earth. He was running over from the decks, finally noticing that his car was gone. The relief in his expression was fairly obvious from their distance.

Sanji then looked at Lucci, all his thoughts and emotions visible at that moment – obviously thinking about Law, and Lucci jerked away from him, senses too heightened, noticing almost everything at that moment. He turned and walked back to the car, knowing he wouldn't get anywhere else with the man in this mental state.

With a murderous expression, he told the driver to leave, and the Buick pulled away with a slight screech of tires. Sanji watched it go, then looked at Ace as he caught up, giving the car a bewildered look.

"Who was that?" he asked curiously, hands on his knees.

"This prick I know. Hey, we're out of a ride. He threw the keys into the water," Sanji said, leaning against the door with a sigh. "I guess that's it, then."

" _Uwa_!" Ace exclaimed in dismay, looking towards the harbor. " _Why_? Those – how am I supposed to get home?"

"I'm really tired," Sanji confessed, climbing back into the car, making his way to the passenger side seat while Ace drew his fingers down his face, unable to grasp how the evening could turn into such a downward spiral.

Once he settled in his seat, Sanji drew out the cellphone he'd pulled from Lucci's jacket while they were kissing, chuckling. He touched the white button in front, and watched as a thumb print was required for entry. With a smirk, he grabbed the roll of tape sitting in the middle of Ace's console, stripped off a section, then used it to press around the phone, carefully capturing various fingerprints off from the front and back section of the phone. He reached low underneath Ace's dash to put the strip there, then tucked the phone into his back pants pocket, cringing for a moment at that decision.

He felt so guilty, his guts churned with it. He felt like he'd committed a grave sin. He felt like the world had just dropped out from underneath him. He'd enjoyed the touch and kiss of another man – a rather troublesome one, the very same one that caused Law such turmoil, so it made things a thousand times worse.

But his fingers tightened at his cheek because Law left him, and told him to do things like this in his absence. This was his fault, too.

Not even five minutes later, the window shattered overhead, almost causing him to jerk in surprise, Ace crying out with dismay from the other side of the car. He felt rough hands pat him down until they pulled the phone from his pocket. The lingering silence and unwelcoming feeling of having someone's hands on him where only Law had touched him made him feel worse.

"You bastard! You fucked up my car!" Ace shouted, some intense sounds of fire blasting in the open area. Sanji resisted looking, because he knew it was important to stay as he was. It didn't take that long to fall asleep, though, hearing Ace curse and grumble as he called Sabo to come save them.

: :

Zoro frowned deeply as Sabo carried Sanji into the condo, a sheepish Ace following right after. Chopper was asleep, and he stood up from the couch as Sabo took Sanji to the bedroom.

"Look, bro, to be honest, he wanted to," Ace said quickly, noticing Zoro's intense expression. "Before we even left! He wanted to know what it felt like to get high!"

"I believe you," Zoro said with a disgusted look, "but as his 'date', wasn't it your responsibility to say 'no'?"

"I _said_ all these things!" Sabo hissed as he returned to them, giving Ace a murderous expression. "I _said_ all of these things already! He got him high, he gave him a drink – "

"It was only a _shot_!" Ace protested meekly. "I didn't think he'd get that far gone! He's a lightweight!"

"And, apparently, they ran into someone named Lucci – "

" _Rob_ Lucci?" Zoro asked in consternation. " _That_ guy was around?"

"Yeah, you know him?"

"He's one of the main instigators from the bakery. I think he has a thing for him. That's the one that nearly snatched off with Law's arm."

"I didn't know that, but he was there," Ace confessed, fiddling with his hands as Sabo glared at him sternly. "Sneaky bastard. He must've been following us, because suddenly he was there, and they were having an intense discussion – well, _he_ was, Sanji was…sort of gone."

"He was holding onto this," Sabo said to Zoro, holding up a strip of tape. "It has fingerprints on it."

Zoro took it carefully, unsure of what to think. "Uh…"

"Look, I'm sorry, my brother is…he was only excited. He wanted to show him a good time, and it didn't work out for anybody."

"It's no problem, I only blame Sanji for this," Zoro said, carefully pinning the tape to the edge of the dining room table. "Thank you for bringing him home. Let's talk about this later, I'm going to check on him."

"Right. Our apologies. Come along, moron," Sabo said to Ace, dragging him along behind him while Zoro headed towards the bedroom. Sanji was passed out on piles of Law's clothes, hugging sweaters still on hangers to his chest. He shook his head, unable to even formulate anything to say at that moment, then sent a text to Nami to give her an update.

: :

"You look mad, today," Kaku said, seeing Lucci glaring out the window the next day. "What happened, last night? Are you following Califa's spreadsheet?"

"No. I don't want to. This is the look of disappointment."

"Aw, trouble in the relationship already?" Kaku asked, and Lucci looked at him, detecting slight sarcasm in the ginger's tone.

"It disappointed me to see the child in him," Lucci muttered.

"Well, you _are_ almost a decade older than him, so…."

"I expected a certain maturity to him, not…a crass reminder that he isn't fully…"

"You are really bitter about this, aren't you? That's what you get for stalking somebody like that, who hasn't had a chance to get out," Kaku said with a gentle laugh. "C'mon, lighten up. It couldn't have been that bad."

"It wasn't."

"So…this was a good thing, or a bad thing?"

Lucci shrugged, Hattori preening himself nearby.

Kaku frowned at him, waiting for an elaboration, but Lucci wasn't going to share any more than what he did. But he did note his friend's satisfied curl of his lip, so there was something positive about the situation.

"So, there's still no word on Law's whereabouts?"

"None whatsoever. No luck in tracking down his credit card activity?"

"The name we have for him gives us nothing. Either he has a shitload of cash or he's under a different name we're just not aware of," Kaku reported. "And Califa's combed all the universities in the area for that one guy, and she's not having any success. She's actually heartbroken about it, you might want to go say a few positive things to her."

Lucci snorted. "There isn't anything I can say that will make her feel any better. I'd only end up making little person jokes."

"You're incapable of 'jokes'. Listen, we're still working on it. You keep working your end, I guess. There's nothing I can say that'll stop you from doing what you want, but we still have a job to do."

"Understood."

"Don't let this consume you," Kaku warned, patting his shoulder as he walked off. "There's plenty of kids in the sea if this one doesn't work out for you."

"Always with the last snarky word," Lucci muttered, leaning chin on palm as he looked out the window once more, drumming his fingertips atop of one thigh.

: :

'How's it look over there?' PapaPolarBear messaged, and Penguin growled as he 'x'ed out of the box, focused on the latest level of Candy Crush. 'DON'T IGNORE ME.'

'It's fine, it's fine,' Penguin replied impatiently. 'He's fine. How's senpai?'

'what's the weather like over there? it's nice and chilly, with no hopes of rising above fifty, today.'

'What a big baby. Tell him that.'

'you unsympathetic jerk! Senpai is heartbroken! He's crushed! And yet he still thinks fondly of you asses like nothing happened!'

'Really?'

'No. I'm sorry. He doesn't really care what you think of him.'

'I knew it! Leave me alone, bear, I'm busy. Hands deep in blood and guts.'

'You're playing Candy Crush because you sent me a request earlier!'

'Look, tell senpai to call the little trainwreck himself if he's feeling someway. But I can assure you, Sanji isn't lying around in his robe, anymore –I'm surprised he's actually doing what senpai told him to do.'

'What?'

'You know. Living life. Getting high. Playing on the bus, talking with a big boy voice. Probably dating all kinds of guys, idk.'

'Like who?'

Penguin stopped playing and looked at the message. Then he furrowed his eyebrows, reaching for a sandwich nearby.

'Senpai. Jerk off. I'm nobody's go-between. You want to know details, you go and ask him yourself. This is your own fault, you big baby. Bring us souvenirs when you come back. Something awesome. No more fridge magnets!'

When he didn't receive a reply after that, he snorted, taking a large bite of his sandwich. Then he texted Shachi with a frown.

'Don't talk to me.'

'Shut up. When are you coming back?'

'Never, after that near death experience. I'm so hurt it wasn't you that came after me!'

'Shut up, pussy. Momma Sanji saved your dumb ass. You're so ungrateful.'

' * Your mom!'

' * Yours! You spend the night there like a little kid, snuggling up to your little brother!'

'STFU!'

'Hurry up and come up here for the weekend! Sanji texted me something about putting together a plan to get those bakers under control. He wants us to do stuff with him when we got the chance.'

'sweet! I'm staying with you, though. I fear that kid's instability.'

'what's with you and all these mom figures in your life? You're never going to find a girlfriend.'

'STFU!'

Chuckling, just hearing his best friend's voice in his head screeching at him, Penguin put his phone down. When he made to eat again, he realized he was looking right at Kid's scowling face, peering at him from over the café's flower box wall.

"Where. Is. _He_?" he asked slow, slurring his words as he revealed a bottle of Jack in one hand, and a trucker's hat in the other. Penguin was so startled at seeing the guy there that he didn't even have anything to say, at first. Looking down at himself, he knew he was in his paramedic uniform. He was quite certain he'd never revealed his face to the guy – he and Shachi had their scarves over their faces when Kid had showed up to help them out from the bakery's clutches.

He slowly turned to look behind him, heart racing, and realized that Gin and Don Krieg's minions were seated behind him, and all of them were armed, ready for some confrontation of some kind. He was surprised that he hadn't even heard the commotion, but then again, they weren't saying anything. Just gathering in one spot, much to the nervousness of those around them.

"Fuck if I know! Fuck on outta here!" Gin snapped at him.

"You went out with Blackleg the other night," Kid growled, this time crawling to stand on the wall edge to look over Penguin's head to glare at the men behind him. "So what did he say about Law?"

"Like I care about that sort of thing!"

"So he said _nothing_ about him? Then he's still here in the city, somewhere?"

"Look, Kid, we're busy. We're trying to kill some fools, and you're spoiling the surprise," Gin complained. "Scram."

"Let me scratch your back, and you scratch mine!"

"You're such a ninny."

"He must've been horribly disfigured," Kid said, Penguin reacting with disgust as he sniffled. "In some sort of lab accident. He probably can't get it up, anymore, so he sent his little wifey out to find dick elsewhere, sacrificing his disability to keep him happy - !"

" _Idiot_!" Gin scoffed. "With the way Blackleg was acting, Law left him."

" _Why_?" Kid asked, jerking his head back up. "What'd he say?"

"I'm just _saying_ , that's what it looked like!"

"So why's he going out with you?"

"I'm telling ya, worst date I ever had. He ain't single."

Penguin could just see the gears moving in Kid's head as he gave thought to the newest possibilities. He looked around himself, looking for a way to escape out of this potentially dangerous situation. But his crewmates were trapped, too, both of them looking uncomfortable as they realized that the dangerous gathering of Krieg's men meant that an ambush was being set, and Kid was just passing through, and, really, the boundary lines meant _nothing_ to these people –

"All right, all right, break it up, you guys! I know what you're about!" Jabra's voice broke through the din, his hands clapping together, and he was next to Kid, looking over the wall at Gin. "You! psychopath! I know it was you that killed those people in that taco place, last night. What's your damn problem?"

"I got nothing to say to you, mutt! I wasn't even there!"

"Hey! I'm pure bread!"

"'Bread'?" Penguin mumbled, Kid looking at him suddenly, so Penguin stuffed his mouth with his sandwich while looking off in another direction. Kid then looked at Jabra.

"I'm starting to suspect you people did something to someone I love the most," he said. "You people aren't satisfied until we're broken inside, aren't you?"

"I can _smell_ your liver from here," Jabra commented, nose wrinkled. "Cirrhosis is serious, you know?"

"Where's Law?"

"Hell if I know, I don't keep tabs on those sort of people," Jabra snorted, arms dangling over flowers as he pressed up against the wall. "What's it to you?"

"We're getting married!"

Penguin snorted, and Kid and Jabra looked at him, but Penguin was finishing his sandwich and looking off in another direction.

"I didn't get an invitation," Jabra said with much doubt. "And I like weddings! Besides, that guy's hooked up to Blackleg! They live together! Blackleg wouldn't allow it."

"Blackleg's a loser who refuses to share, knowing that it's Law's destiny to be with me!"

"What a lucky guy, to have two 'wives'!"

"HEY! Who said _I'm_ going to be the wife?"

"Well, he's pretty manly, so…"

"Isn't he? He's the best! He deserves the best, which means he should be with me, and not that sputtering tyrant he's with now!"

"Look, he's really not that bad," Gin said, standing behind Penguin as his fellow minions filed out from the café. "I see why Law keeps a tight leash on him. It's understandable. But once you get him nice and warm and compliant, the possibilities are endless."

Kid's face flushed as Jabra wrinkled his forehead with concern. Penguin really wanted to leave, but Gin was so close behind him, and Kid and Jabra were _thatclose_ in front of him, and his crewmates looked at him with matching expressions of concern.

" _Nice and warm and compliant_ , huh?" Kid repeated, almost lost in some fantasy of his. Jabra looked at him funny. "So! Why's he acting single, then?"

"He kept saying stuff like people wanted him to do things, so he was…I took the chance. Free agent, he said, because Law wanted him to do this."

Jabra, Penguin and Gin reacted with varying expressions of disgust as Kid's nose started to dribble.

"Wants him to experiment with other men? Like…in front of him?" he asked vaguely, eyes wide with interest. "Gimme his number!"

"Oh, Jesus," Penguin muttered, finally getting up and pushing out of there. He almost escaped, but the metal on his uniform rattled, and he was forced back to the chair, much to his horror and surprise.

" _You're_ with your phone out!" Kid snarled, Jabra judging the decision to find it non-threatening because it wasn't like anyone was being killed. "Gin! What's Blackleg's number?"

"I'm not allowing this," Gin sniffed. "Like I'd give away my property's number to another man."

"I got it right here," Jabra said, pulling out his cellphone, drawn into the madness by proxy. Once he read it out, Kid looked at Penguin menacingly.

"What's wrong with your phone?" he asked, not dialing a familiar number in front of everyone.

"I'm too drunk to do this on my own. NOW DIAL."

"Dial that number, and you die," Gin warned Penguin, hand at his throat. "I'll kill you before you can do it."

"You're so selfish!" Kid yelled at him.

"Hands off the city help, Gin!" Jabra warned, shifting into a larger form just in case he had to interfere.

"Look, DM him on your spare time," Gin scoffed. "This is all that I learned. But you ain't gonna get very far with him. Either Law's still around, or this is some kinky thing between them, but Blackleg ain't single."

"God, that's so _hot_ ," Kid whined, pulling away from the wall. " _Kinky_. Watching him play with other men from the shadows…I need his number! I need his DM! THIS IS MY OPPORTUNITY! BLACKLEG! _NOTICE_ ME!"

"Hey! There's a line waiting for the same opportunity!" Jabra shouted after him. "My friend wants him, too!"

" _I'M_ NEXT!"

"This is such bullshit!" Gin complained, wandering away from Penguin. "I was the only one targeted here, today! And we didn't even get shit done!"

Penguin looked at his crewmates, then at his phone. He debated on texting this entire situation to Bepo/Law, then decided against it because it just wasn't worth the problems associated with it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Warning: Absolute filth ahead.**

 **Glasses: here it is! I've been distracted, a lot. DX**

 **MinnyFox : Thanks for all your reviews! I enjoyed reading your thoughts out loud on every chapter – everyone is pretty screwy, aren't they? But the biggest nutter is Sanji, desperate to prove everyone wrong – in all the wrong ways possible. DX I get distracted a lot with other fics, but this one will be finished. And thank you for all the kind words! Hearing them helps :P**

 **Panda Blackwhite : Sanji has noticed Kid, and…! Not in a good way. LOL This track, Sanji takes control of the track and the conductor – absolutely no one can stop him now. XD**

 **Ommm: Whoo Hoo! Hopefully you still will after this chapter DX**

 **nattsubihanabi** **: Law is still playing around in other series; he's giving Sanji his space. Hopefully Sanji continues to use it * wisely….**

 **Chapter Fifteen**

Sanji fixed his hair, sweeping it along the side, and gave his reflection a determined look. He felt embarrassed for his actions after Ace's date, and hoped that today's wouldn't go in the same manner. He was pretty sure that whomever Zoro had set up to meet him wouldn't end in the way his other dates had. He spritzed some of the cologne he had Robin buy him earlier that day, then coughed, waving most of the scent away as it lingered over him. He then set it aside, looking at his phone.

"Sanji, I still think this is a dumb idea," Chopper said impatiently as he walked into his room, giving him a foul look. Hands on his hips, he said, "I don't like that you're doing this. Correction: I _hate_ that you're doing this. Why, Sanji? Almost every night, you're out with someone, but yet you sleep in _these_ conditions - "

"I'm on a mission, Chopper. It's important that I do this," Sanji interrupted touchily, Chopper coughing once he caught wind of him.

The reindeer drew back with a revolted face. " _What are you wearing_?"

Puzzled at his reaction, Sanji sniffed himself again. The scene had settled in, and it was much different than when he'd sprayed it earlier. It left him with a pleasant scent that made him give Chopper a mystified expression. "I don't know. Robin bought it for me."

"Sanji, that's - ! _Ugh_!" Chopper exclaimed, covering his nose and running away. Hearing the cheery ding on his phone caused Sanji to leave his room and go sit at the table, not wanting to leave until Zoro showed. He and Ussop were bringing movies and pizza over, and Sanji had a project for Ussop to work on.

Once he saw he had a DM from Instagram, he opened it up with a pout, seeing that Law had erased the last selfie he'd uploaded. _Such a control freak_ , he thought, forgetting about the DM and instead taking a picture of himself instead. Once he played with the filters, typed in 'Onto the next!', and added some emojis, he posted. Almost immediately, his phone blew up with Likes and comments, and he smirked because he was sure Law would be one of them.

'You need to pace yourself, dammit,' Dragonclaw 007 admonished. 'throwing yourself out there so soon is bound to end up in disaster! No more drinking! No more recreational experimentation!'

'Ducking Ash hole!' Ace exclaimed, with a fire, car and key emoji. 'ONE MORE CHANCE! It can be better!'

'Why do you do this?' Gin asked. 'Calling out other men right in front of me? I'll kill them, you know.'

'ANSWER YOUR DM!' Kid typed in.

"Stupid Autocorrect!' Ace corrected.

'Dick pics, show me everything!' 69BonneyBabe69 said, completing it with eggplant emojis and sweat. 'Honey, change your shirt. It's trash.'

'You look very nice,' Anon1006ABC said.

Sanji immediately latched onto that tag, at-ting him with a house emoji.

In return was a calendar emoji. He growled in frustration and tapped on the icon, only to see that Law followed only him, with no posts. He DM'ed him with a curse filled tirade, huffing. Moments later, he followed that up with apologies and pleas for him to come back home. None of them were answered, and he huffed again.

'BLACKLEG! Your mission applies to anybody, right? Then I'm picking you up at 9 tonight! And you know what this is about, so don't dress like a pansy!'

Sanji made to reply to Kid's demand, but then rethought it. He hadn't planned on anything with Kid in the grand scheme of things, considering how much he hated him chasing after Law, but if Anon1006ABC was watching…then this would be purely out of his own spite. This was _his_ chance to be childish.

'Fine,' he replied.

'What? Rly?'

'KID! You're dead!' Gin threatened. 'You've just declared war.'

'We agreed this wasn't happening!' WolfBro43 typed in. 'There's a line, and you're stepping out of it!'

'That is a bad idea,' Dragonclaw007 exclaimed.

'Are you serious, Blackleg?' MountainWind000 commented. 'consider the circumstances to this loose behavior! WolfBro43, stay out of this!'

' ^ He means to date, not to subject yourself sexually to anybody,' ValentinoBabeInTraining said. 'Blackleg, please consider what we'd discussed previously, once Lucci works the nerve to ask you himself. I, too, would like a chance to kick up my heels.'

'Who is this guy? ^' Pluton-Babe 235 asked curiously.

'I wouldn't worry about any of this, really – if you're looking to score, he's not putting out,' Gin said. 'with that being said, anybody that touches him before I do _will_ die.'

'I don't approve of this,' Doflamingo stated. 'First and foremost, GB, that shirt is hideous and I feel sorry for the guy that you get dumped on. Second, if you're not sleeping with anybody, then how is this even effective? Make Law HURT! Make him feel pain! Make him suffer! Sleep with everybody! But none of these guys because you still have to look at them later.'

'That is actually sound advice,' Hogback commented. 'I'm shocked.'

'One night stands should be filled with regret later on! Otherwise, why partake in them at all? ! Just none of these jokes because I have to look at them with shame in my eyes.'

'We can't even see your eyes!'

'Sanji, in the end, it's your own choices that you have to live with. Please change that shirt. Wear the black one button up with the snowflake scarf and black cardigan if you get cold,' C0rawsaan commented, along with a hand up emoji.

Sanji did go change into those things, and by the time he'd adjusted the scarf, it was time to go. Chopper still growled from his room, covering his blue nose with his hooves. Zoro walked in at that moment, Ussop hauling in boxes of pizza and juggling bottles of soda.

Both of them made faces as Sanji passed them by.

"What are you _wearing_?" Zoro asked, frowning at him while Ussop set everything down on the counter. "You smell really weird."

"Yeah, Sanji, that's – maybe you shouldn't," Ussop said nervously, red faced.

"Why? Robin got it for me, she said it smelled very nice," Sanji commented, sniffing himself. "And I like it, so it's staying. So, what's this guy like, Zoro?"

"He's pretty cool. He's laid back, he's a single father, too," Zoro said, frowning with disapproval. Sanji couldn't help but light up at the casual mention of his voluntary fatherhood status. "He'll pretty much take the lead, and he's not the type to let you get out of control. He said he's only available for an hour, or so, so it's not like you can get into _that_ much trouble in that amount of time."

"Har, har, like I'm _really_ that much of a handful," Sanji huffed, looking at him with insult. "Besides, he sounds nice. A cup of coffee, or something will be fine."

"Just don't get carried away," Zoro cautioned, wagging his finger at him. "I'll have him meet you at the coffee shop where you first met that bird. It's near his place."

"He does know it's a date, right?" Sanji asked, slipping his phone into his back pocket.

" _No_. So don't act like it is. He just wants to get out and meet new friends."

Sanji stared at him, then figured it was too much of a hassle to deal with. He then gave a jerk, and retrieved the strip of tape that he'd saved "Ussop, you still have that replicating kit that you used to copy Ace's and Sabo's fingerprints with, for Luffy to break into their phones?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I need some made of these," Sanji said, holding it to him as Ussop took it cautiously. "It's really important. I need the right thumbprint."

"Okay, sure, I can do this. Whose is it's?"

"Lucci's."

" _What are you going to do with that_?" both Zoro and Ussop exclaimed.

"You'll see." With a wave in their direction, he grabbed his keys and left, Zoro and Ussop looking at each other with heavy frowns.

"You set a guy up with another guy, and he doesn't know it's a date?" Ussop verified, finding this more important than the duty he was just given.

"Yeah. I don't know how to set guys up, okay? He was just the very last of persons I'd expect to be trouble," Zoro grumbled. "He's cool, he's well mannered, and he's got a kid, so I don't think he's that much of an asshole for Sanji."

"Who is this guy, anyway?"

: :

Kin'emon stared at Sanji while Sanji stared up at him with a considering look. The tall samurai wasn't sure what Zoro had meant when he'd said, 'Have coffee with my friend; he's lonely and gets into trouble, a lot', but now he had an idea why the blond was capable of trouble. That smell coming from him had a couple of guys whirling around to watch him walk in, and had another dropping his coffee as he turned to stare at him. Plus, it seemed Sanji had absolutely no idea why they were tripping over themselves, turning to snap at the guy for dropping coffee at his feet, and then snarling at a man that tried to tell him 'good afternoon'.

Kin'emon gestured at a table because Sanji immediately seemed to place him as Zoro's friend – Kin'emon couldn't imagine what made him so obvious. Zoro hadn't thought to send pictures, nor requested any of him to give to Sanji. But Sanji had pegged him as Sanji's friend because Kin'emon had a stiff posture similar to Zoro's, wore ill-matched clothes in the same style as Zoro did, and had his hair tied back in a severe topknot.

Kin'emon tried not to react to the smell wafting from Sanji, but he was unable to pull away from it. His eyes watered and he coughed politely, but since part of his lifestyle demanded a smooth attitude and acceptance of things he could not change, he forced himself to ignore the scent and the effect it had. The couple in the booth behind them sniffed the air, then looked back, the man trying to see who was sitting there before the girl whapped him and stormed out from the booth with an angry look. Kin'emon cleared his throat.

"I'm Kin'emon," he stated, frowning gravely. "Zoro says you are in need of company."

"Did he tell you why?" Sanji asked, looking unimpressed until the waitress came over. She took their orders with a puzzled look, then wandered off.

"Just that you lack companionship, and coincidentally, I am, too, in need of new company," Kin'emon said, nodding. "I hear you have a child. How old is he?"

"He's sixteen, going on forty," Sanji said cheerfully. "He's a good kid, very smart. But he was raised by centenarians, so he's very innocent. He's a fast learner, and he's very capable in the medical field to be relied upon for medical aid. Which is, uh, important in our family, considering…considering the troubles we have."

"Ah, mine, too, he's a little _too_ knowledgeable about unnecessary things that escape me," Kin'emon mumbled. "I took him in after his father passed, so it's a new duty for me."

"Hey, we're in a similar situation! His father tried to kill me, so I took him in."

"At your age?" Kin'emon asked skeptically. "You're pretty young, aren't you? To be settled down before you had a chance to experience anything?"

Sanji sighed heavily. "In the end, I don't regret doing this. He needs a home, and I will provide him with one, no matter what people think. It shouldn't matter what my age and experience is, as long as he cared for to the very best of my abilities, and loved."

"Ah, so we have plenty to talk about then," Kin'emon said cheerfully, a little more relaxed. Sanji looked the same way as they were served their coffee and tea.

Twenty minutes later, the door slammed open, causing Kin'emon to sputter his tea over the table while Sanji whipped his head around, in the middle of setting up tutoring for Momonosuke, considering Chopper's math abilities. Both of them had their phones out, showing off pictures of their children and bragging about their exploits when they watched Jabra and Kaku walking in. The wolfman sniffed the air with a puzzled expression, then pushed Kaku ahead of him.

"What's your deal?" Sanji asked with a bewildered face as Kaku walked up to him with a frown.

"What are you wearing?" Kaku asked, frown intensifying. His nose wrinkled, and his fingers went to close over it, causing him to look away with an embarrassed flush. "It's really strong."

"Is it unpleasant?" Sanji asked, suddenly self-conscious as he sniffed again. "Robin gave it to me, I thought it smelled nice."

Kaku stared at him for a few moments, clearly at a lack of anything to say. Sanji frowned at him while Jabra made growling noises from the door.

"You jackass! So this is how you do it!" he said, pushing his hands up to his nose. "Wearing pheromones! Dirty play!"

Sanji gave him a puzzled look. "' _Pheromones'_?"

"It's really strong, and it's distracting, and you should _really_ consider not wearing it, anymore," Kaku said, discomfited. "It's very strong for us animal types."

"True, it's caused many men embarrassment here in the shop," Kine'mon said, Sanji looking at him with rising understanding, looking horrified as it all now made sense. The taller man looked at the others. "Who are you people?"

"Work colleagues. Who are _you_?"

"It's none of your business," Sanji said hastily, frowning at Kaku. "What do you want? We have nothing to do with each other, now."

"Look, I wasn't going to stay anything, but these recent events have me feeling a little suspicious, and I feel I need to discuss with you, why," Kaku said, standing at the table. "What do you hope to gain doing this? You're targeting syndicate members for your dates, those that are, uh, a little desperate for your attention. As a baker, I feel that you're picking these men personally, for something deeper."

" _How dare you_ ," Sanji said, rising from his chair, hand on his chest. "You interrupt my chat with this gentleman here, comment with judgment on my social media accounts, and now come up to my face to tell me that the guys I'm picking are men _I'm_ not _worthy_ of?"

"Uh, _no_ , that's not what we - what _I_ said," Kaku corrected himself quickly, looking at him cautiously. "I just feel that you're up to something. First Gin, this encounter with Lucci, then Kid? You had Gin show you around his side of the city; used your… _wiles_ …on my friend, and, with how obsessed Kid is with Law, you're sinking your hooks into him, as well. You're up to something."

Sanji stared at him with a considering frown, then said, "I choose strong men because _I_ am a strong man, myself. I feel that I am worthy of their attention. You think I'm not? I have to settle for someone weaker than I? As it is, these _vulnerable_ men you speak of would be insulted if they knew you thought of them in such a way."

"I didn't mean to sound insulting, I just want to know what you're up to," Kaku said with a rigid stance.

"I think you came in here to start a fight because I hit a nerve," Sanji said, stepping into his personal space. "Am I encroaching on your territory?"

Kine'mon now realized why Zoro thought his friend was trouble. "As an observer, I must interject on this confrontation," he said, catching Kaku's attention. "You are in the wrong, young man. You came in with a purpose, and now find yourself awkwardly backpedaling once you realized your opponent is right. It is not your business to dictate who he dates – sometimes, the pool is limited to what fish resides there."

"Now, see here!" Kaku exclaimed, crossing his arms in front of him, unnerved by Kine'mon's words. "I'm only saying all of this because _he's_ the one we have to watch the closest, considering his sly tactics in strategic planning – "

"I am a man rocked with insecurity after my years long lover left me," Sanji said, changing his body language, hand over his heart. "I had thought the man I lived with was strong enough to endure all these naysayers, but he wasn't – he left me without saying where he was going and why, and I get told by text – "

"You were dumped by ' _text'_?" Jabra asked incredulously, hands up to his head.

" _By text_!" Sanji exclaimed, holding up his phone. "The man I lived with, _dumped_ me by fucking phone!"

Jabra was impressed at the levels of low Law was capable of. "Wow, that's low! He truly is scum, isn't he?"

"So, what is the problem with answering to those wanting to give him attention after this?" Kine'mon asked Kaku disbelievingly. "How is this a crime?"

"Jabra!" Kaku snapped at him. "Stay on track! And you! I don't even know you, but your opinion is not needed!"

"Thank you, Kine'mon! So as a result," Sanji said, looking back at Kaku, "I feel like no one thinks too much of me after this, and how am I supposed to recover? Being single? _No_! I'm going to throw myself out there to men that want me, and so far, all that do are men who are _as strong_ as me!"

"I just think that - !"

"The problem with my relationship, asshole, was that people were free to tell us we were doing it all wrong," Sanji snarled, stepping closer, Kaku stepping back cautiously. "And now that I'm trying to recover, _you're_ in my face, telling me I'm recovering from my own damn break up like it's wrong, too! You're making it even worse!"

"I'm not falling for this – "

"Kaku, why are we even here?" Jabra asked, drawing his hands down his face. "I mean, _c'mon_. Look at him. Someone had to tell him to change out of that hideous shirt he was intending on wearing, and he's got a snowflake scarf. He's not that dangerous."

"He demolished our offices with his bare feet! He is, too, dangerous!"

"…Oh _yeah_."

"Look, Sanji," Kaku tried again before the doors opened, Lucci walking in with a frown leveled at all three of them. Sanji smirked while Kaku and Jabra looked alarmed, clearly not expecting him. Kaku left Sanji, striding over to the taller man with red-faced action. " _You_ were supposed to be talking to Hogback about his illegal plastic surgery business!"

"We came to an understanding," Lucci said, frowning at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm so sorry, let's keep in touch," Sanji said hastily to Kine'mon. "Chopper can help!"

"Definitely. Thank you. This was…pleasant."

With that, Sanji strode over to the three men near the doors, and everyone in the coffee shop was more interested in the drama that was playing out than anything they had in front of them. Someone was even filming it, adding their own dialogue in a whisper.

"So, now _you_ think I'm a suspect?" Sanji asked, pushing Kaku away so he could frown up at Lucci. "Is that how you're playing the game?"

"What 'game'?" Lucci repeated, utterly unaware of what was happening. Then his nostrils flared at he caught the scent coming from Sanji, momentarily alarmed as he recognized the significance of it.

"Lucci, this is important, this is _my_ project," Kaku said, hands together. "I didn't say anything to you because I feel that – "

"Your coworkers don't think _we_ should have any contact," Sanji interrupted. He reached out, straightening Lucci's tie, despite it being perfectly straight on its own. Lucci batted his hand away with a heavy frown, not liking the contact – in front of other people. "And, after some consideration, I feel they're right."

Kaku reared on him. " _What_? You were just upset a minute ago - !"

"This is a conflict," Sanji told Lucci, folding his arms over his chest. "Obviously, there is interest between us for each other, right? Being that I'm a former enforcer, and you're currently an enforcer? Asides that, you bit off my boyfriend's arm, so that's why he left!"

"Jesus, I'm getting swept up in this, and this isn't even my drama," Jabra muttered, watching everything with intense interest.

"Well, I – "

"Lucci, this is wrong on every level, and I feel he's creating something within us to cause turmoil," Kaku said hastily. "I say, don't respond to anything he says! He's only trying to use it later on, for some nefarious reason!"

"Lucci, did you consult the spreadsheet?" Jabra asked with a serious expression, but he said it with such mockery that Kaku gave him a withering look. "Because the spreadsheet has already detailed this for us."

"Whatever that's about, I'm offended!" Sanji exclaimed, glaring at them both. "You're intruding into my life for no fucking reason!"

"Then I _was_ right - !"

"Not only that, but this is bullshit," Sanji muttered, rubbing his arms. "You guys are harassing me. I feel bullied because I am currently vulnerable, and you guys are following me everywhere, judging me and my every move!"

"There is no such thing - !"

"You guys need to stop, or otherwise I'm pushing in a complaint to your supervisor, then notifying the other syndicate heads of what you're capable of doing, and let me tell you, _most_ of them might not care about what happens to me, but they'll want to know what you're capable of if they're not following your damn orders. They'll know that you'll react to them in a similar matter," Sanji finished, glaring at Kaku, then at Lucci, who was quietly trying to determine whether or not this man was serious. But all he could smell was those damn pheromones, so he was pretty distracted. Especially since he kept thinking about last night, and knowing what those lips tasted like, the feel of him –

He cleared his throat soundly, Hattori ruffling his feathers.

Seeing that Lucci had nothing to say, Sanji narrowed his eyes, starting for the door. "Fuck you all! Leave me alone!"

"What is happening?" Lucci asked Kaku. While his expression hadn't changed, he looked a little ruffled, Hattori preening his feathers with a light noise. "I had thought you guys were getting coffee, not harassing the regulars, here."

"We weren't harassing - ! _We weren't harassing_!" Kaku insisted, stepping aside of him. Kaku then hurried out of the shop, shouting after Sanji. Jabra looked back at Lucci, uncovering his mouth and nose. His teammate looked pissed, off balanced, and Hattori fluttered around anxiously. Then Lucci turned and left the coffee shop, heading in the same direction as Kaku. But Sanji had already climbed into a cab and was leaving, Kaku standing at the sidewalk with a reddened expression.

Kine'mon texted Zoro about the resulting end to the 'date', and asked him why he'd do such a thing when he wasn't interested in men 'that way'. Jabra hurried off after the others, seeing Kaku arguing to a viciously glaring Lucci.

"Well, this is going to be an interesting night," Jabra said to himself, shaking his head.

: :

Later that night, Sanji stood outside and waited for Kid. He texted Robin about the 'cologne' that she'd bought for him.

'I'm sure it'll work in your favor,' she texted back. 'I use it all the time to get my way.'

'I didn't know they were pheromones! What do they do?'

'Drives the fellas, crazy. Just run with it, see what it gets you, ; ) I've had very good luck with it, so I thought I'd share it with you.'

Robin was definitely a dangerous friend, Sanji thought, putting his phone away when he heard a loud rumble in the distance that was drawing closer. Kid pulled up to the condo parking lot in a gleaming black Mustang with racing stripes, the tires gleaming in the night, the sound system causing the windows to vibrate.

 _I'm really going to do this_ , Sanji said to himself, unable to believe he was. At the thought of spending the rest of his evening with someone that worshipped Law – as much as it made him feel as if someone were drawing a cheese grater over his nerves - he hated his impulsive actions, sometimes, unsure of why he had to prove anything to Law at this point. But he had to follow through with it, inhaling and exhaling slowly to calm his boiling temper.

"Hurry up!" Kid shouted at him, slowing the car across empty parking spots, causing Sanji to snarl. He opened the door and barely hopped in when Kid gunned the engine and Sanji fell in with an awkward noise, door slamming shut behind him. "We're going to make this a memorable night, asshole! _Here_! Flowers!"

He slapped some black roses over Sanji's chest, Sanji righting himself in his seat to look at them. They had died a long time ago, rotting inside discolored wrapping with a water stained ribbon, and he tossed them in the backseat with a disgusted expression.

"Chocolates! In case you're hungry, because we're not stopping to eat anywhere," Kid said, slapping a box over Sanji's lap, causing the blond to eke out a noise as the two pound box nearly crushed his tender parts into the leather seat.

"Already, this is off to a fun start!" Sanji snapped at him, whipped around as Kid took a corner too face, facing incoming traffic. He shouted with panic, grabbing the door and the dash, Kid driving over a center median then careening into a narrow side street around another apartment complex.

"I'm trying to get this ass off my tail," Kid complained, reaching for his bottle of beer. He chugged that down, then threw it out the window, behind them. The car behind them swerved, nearly hitting some trashcans. Once Sanji saw that this was, indeed, a car chase, he closed his eyes and counted to ten. The other car was driving with their brights on, so it made it impossible to even determine the make and model of the other car. "Listen up, Blackleg, this is how it goes. Once I lose this asshole behind me, we're going straight to the venue, where we will listen to Apoo drop some bass on some ravers. We're going to try and outdrink Bonney, and we're going to wake up somewhere on the south side of the city, wondering where my fucking car is. Now, this is where you come in – try not to get fucked up too bad, do _not_ wander off when I pass out, and don't even touch the pink drink that Bonney gives you. That stuff will fuck you up more than the Tea Party ever did. It's her new thing. Is this understood?"

"… _what_?"

"Yeah, took me, like, half an hour to come up with this," Kid said, reaching back into a cooler behind Sanji's seat and pulling out a beer. He gave one to Sanji and took two for himself.

"I have some girly drinks in there, too," Kid said. "Schnapps, Mike's, strawberry margherita's – "

"Well, I'm not really a drinker," Sanji said with uncertainty, looking at the blue can. "I think I've proven already what sort of a person I can become if I do…"

"Don't be a pussy. And, I didn't ask for your judgment, nor did I invite you to judge me in return, Blackleg! All I'm asking for is your time!"

Sanji looked at him suspiciously, hearing a slight slur in those words. "Are you already drunk?"

"Yeah, I was really nervous," Kid admitted, cutting through a red light on a sharp right turn, Sanji losing his drink as he slammed up against him. "Mostly because I expect Law to show up at any minute, and I don't know whether I'm going to kill him or love him – "

"Well, he's not," Sanji said with a huff. Kid maneuvered through a line of vehicles, cut through a Burger King parking lot, then sped up through the roadway he'd just exited minutes earlier, flying through a green light this time. The car behind them got stuck behind a van that was pulling out from the parking lot, and Kid took a freeway ramp up, heading north for a couple of miles before getting off downtown, and negotiating those roadways.

After a while, Kid said, "I still think he's out there, because there's no way he'd let you go alone this long. I think with some effort, he'll come out from hiding."

"Well, he's not," Sanji repeatedly patiently. "I already pushed the limits so far, and he hasn't showed up. It's his own fault for being stupidly insecure."

" _Why_? Because people said so? Why are you even listening to them? What matters is that it's between you guys, anyway, right? Fucker. You're so wimpy, I don't know why he chose you. Probably because you were a virgin. Grr, he makes me so MAD. Virgins are so overrated! Everyone hates them, but he is such a fucking hipster that he does the exact opposite, and, _fuck_ , I hate him so hard!"

Sanji tried not to laugh as Kid slammed back his beer, and tossed the can out on some unsuspecting pedestrians. Instead of feeling angry about it, he was amused that Kid took this so personally.

"From what it sounds like, you're rooting for me," he said.

" _No_ , let's get this straight. I'm rooting for _him_. Always. I'm team Donquixote, not yours. The reason why I am? Is because the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew right then and there, he had to be mine," Kid said, clutching his steering wheel with both hands. "Looking so bad ass and angry and intense, and ruling over those fucking assholes with his goddamn big ass sword and - !"

"STOP!"

Kid slammed on the brakes, Sanji catching himself before he could fly through the windshield.

"NOT LITERALLY! I meant, stop talking about him like that!" Sanji shouted at him, setting his feet on the dash for the next time.

"Oh. Oh, I thought you saw something I didn't. I don't see very well at night. I don't know why," Kid said, turning the wheel and careening down the busy shopping district. People ran out of the road once they saw him coming.

"He's never going to look your way," Sanji told him. "He _loves_ me. I know he does. He's just a dumbass who can't believe it himself."

"Now, see, this is exactly why I think you're not good enough for him! This negative talk! You're talking shit about my man, here, Blackleg, and I don't appreciate it!"

"I'm the one living with him," Sanji muttered. "I get to cook for him. Clean his clothes. Sleep with him. Fuck him. Hear his 'I love yous'. NOT YOU."

"GODDAMN IT," Kid snarled, squeezing his eyes shut and shooting through a red light. Sanji swore he lost two lives in that moment, hands over his face because he refused to look death in this manner. "You're RIGHT, but it doesn't _make_ you right! Because of your selfish actions, I haven't seen him in months! A man can't live this way forever, they start thinking weird things, things that don't make sense, things that aren't _right_."

Sanji gave him side eye, then opened the box of chocolates. "Whatever," he mumbled, squishing in the bottoms to see what sort of fillings they had.

"Besides how the hell are we supposed to know all this?" Kid asked, jerking the wheel and having them pointed towards what looked like fairgrounds. The entire parking lot was full of cars parked in uneven rows, most of their occupants out and about with each other, smoking and drinking. When they caught sight of him, they all cheered and began moving towards a large building that looked as if it were being guarded by very bright and very colorful skeletons. "When you guys aren't even out in public with each other? Like you're ashamed of it. The last time I saw you guys together was at the meeting!"

"We have our own lives, and we do our own thing," Sanji muttered, chewing off the tender milk chocolate from nougat filling. "What's it to people what we do, as long as we love each other for it?"

"Yeah, really, because look where you are now. So, where is he, again?" Kid asked, drifting the car into a parking spot up front, Sanji slamming against the window. But he finished his chocolate and shoved the box up on the dash, giving him a dirty look. Kid turned off the car and tossed his keys underneath the seat. Sanji exited the car, and realized he wasn't wearing the right thing. Everyone around them was dressed in raver clothing, or sported heavy metal looks. All of them looked from Kid to him, clearly wondering if Kid was brain damaged in some way.

Once he finished off the other can, Kid released a loud belch that caused all the mumbling to stop, all attention on him as Sanji shut the door and cautiously rounded the car. In his white jeans, black cardigan and snowflake scarf, he was _clearly_ out of place.

"This is my date for the night!" Kid shouted. "You'll treat him with marginal respect. See those jeans? If he leaves this place with vomit, piss, shit, alcohol or even water staining it in anyway, I will personally find the person and make an example out of them. Is this in anyway unclear?"

At the bellows and roars of agreement, Sanji rolled his eyes, pulling out his cigarettes. Before he even had a chance to light it, several people popped up with lighters and matches.

"Oh, yeah, and watch out for Krieg's guys prowling around. Gin was a bitch to lose on the way here. More than likely, he'll try to kill me, so, do what you need to do to warn me," Kid added, Sanji frowning with concern.

"Look, this isn't supposed to be a big thing," he said, following after him. "It's just supposed to be a night out where I get to know you, that sort of thing, and I have rules – "

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Gin told me about them," Kid said, waving them off. Sanji followed him through a dimly lit hall, where people were lined up against the wall, waiting to be admitted into a larger area that boomed and vibrated with noise. He was really not dressed for this sort of thing, taking in everyone's heavy metal shirts and leather, ravers' bright clothing and glow in the dark accessories. "Personally, I ain't even about that sort of thing. Dates are supposed to have a system – you talk, you fuck, you move on – all within a space of time. It doesn't happen overnight."

"He'll be back, soon," Sanji muttered, mainly to himself as he slammed up against his back as he stopped walking. Kid growled at him, then gestured for him to walk ahead of him. Sanji walked out onto a narrow catwalk that crawled over people filling a rodeo area enclosure, with people taking positions in pens, dirt, narrow corrals – Apoo's DJ equipment was set in the middle of the area, on a rotating platform. All the lasers and lights flashing with the beat of the music, which was so loud that he couldn't hear himself speak.

This was definitely not his type of scene. Everyone moving below were dancing – 'moshing'? – and waving sticks around. Apoo was hard at work entertaining everyone, and he had go-go dancers moving around the arena on Segways and it was all so bewildering to see that he just paused and stared at everything with an open mouth.

Kid ushered him to the end of the catwalk, where they were going to watch over everything from a platform held up by a crane – not very sturdy.

"Hi!" Bonney yelled, surrounded by two girls. The three of them were wearing bright red jumpsuits, with sparkling tiaras, and glow in the dark accessories. Bonney wore cat ears, her companions wearing tails. "Come here, come here! You made it! Have this!"

Sanji took the shot glass she thrust at him, and shook his head, remembering that bad things happened when he partook in anything alcoholic or recreational.

" _Drink_ it! I told you this was part of the plan, tonight!" Kid yelled, taking the entire bottle and slamming most of it down. Sanji looked at him with a shudder, but shrugged. He would only keep it to one. Bonney cheered, and gestured at him to sit on her lap, but he took a seat next to her. From the rotating platform, Apoo waved wildly at them.

For the next hour, he didn't even have to talk – those two managed some sort of conversation, and Sanji just sat there, smoking and thinking about how he didn't fit in this sort of thing, running over his plans in mind, and thinking about Law. He missed him terribly, feeling the ache in his chest. He pulled out his phone to see if he'd answered his DMs, and saw that he received nothing from him. So he typed out another one, detailing how much he missed him.

Fifteen minutes later, angered, he took a selfie with Kid and Bonney and posted it.

When he _still_ didn't get a response, he hurled his phone out into the crowd and sat back with a huff, Kid and Bonney looking at him with shock.

"What's that about?" Kid asked, barely able to hold himself steady. He stood up and hollered for people to throw the phone back, and once he had it in hand, his followers eager to help, he handed Sanji's phone back to him.

"No reason," Sanji muttered, accepting another shot that Bonney held out. He threw it back without hesitation this time.

"Are you trying to make him come back by making him jealous?" she asked, having to shout to do so. "Because that's a good plan! It _always_ works!"

"I would just like him to acknowledge me," he said, wincing at the burn as Kid took the glass back. "He doesn't."

"So he left you, huh? _Tough_. That's what happens when you're together for a long time."

"It wasn't that long! Yes, we've known each other our entire lives, but the entirety of our relationship is _maybe_ the length of two years," Sanji muttered. "People don't get it. We're each other's best friends, and we have been since we were kids…"

"Now's the time to take advantage of his absence!" Bonney exclaimed. "Get out! Explore! Get freaky! When he comes back, if you think so, at least you'll have knowledge of different things!"

"I don't want to."

"Then what's the point?" Kid yelled with exasperation. "He's giving you a fuckin' hall pass, and you're not taking advantage of it!"

"Because why _should_ I when he's the only one I want?"

"You're a liar! There's at least two other people you should be taking advantage of – he's such a god, he more than likely had his fair share before he decided to take up the virgin. Do as he did! He don't regret it! Goddamn it," Kid added, taking another swig. "Goddamn brutal asshole, taking advantage of kids…I'm _Kid!_ Why aren't you taking advantage of me?"

Sanji stared at him, then looked at Bonney. "Is he always emotional when he drinks?"

"Yep," she answered with an eyeroll.

"Put yourself in his place!" Kid then shouted at him. "If you'd had all these dudes, and you were ready to settle down, but you knew your kid wasn't ready to settle down – "

"I've been ready to settle down since I was old enough to know what marriage meant!"

" – there is land Avast of us! Explore it!"

"I can't do that," Sanji moped, cringing. "The thought of touching…well…there is one person I - "

" _Who_?" both of them asked, out of their seats and crowded around him with interest, causing him to regret opening his mouth.

"But I can't imagine taking advantage of it, feeling like I'll betray Law," he finished dully. "He's the only one I'd ever…and he's so stupid for thinking I could. So _what_ if we have problems in the bedroom - ?"

"YOU GUYS DO?" they asked in unison, looking horrified, but extremely interested as well.

"In a good way," Sanji said, wondering if his mouth was working correctly, because it seemed to be loose. "For one, fate cock blocks us. We can't even finish properly. We get there, but someone interrupts us. For another, he makes me so hot and bothered that I rush things."

"You a preemie?" Bonney asked, grinning wickedly. "Why not use a cock ring?"

"What's that?"

" _WHAT'S THAT_ , he asks!" she shouted with laughter. "Honey, really? Do we need to go that way?"

"Listen, all I'm saying is we'd have a good sex life if people would just leave us alone," Sanji said, pouring himself another drink. He was thirsty talking about these things. He finished it before saying, "But people are insanely jealous of our love and passion. Why the fuck would I want anybody else? He's my first and only cock that I ever want."

"What does it look like?" she asked, Kid pushing her away so he could better hear the details.

"All I know is that it works well, and I am so satisfied that I refuse to touch another," Sanji announced.

Kid's face went into his hands a she moped, Bonney patting him. "Listen," she said, crawling over him to sit on Sanji's lap, pressing her forehead against his, " _listen_ to me. How is this so if you haven't tried another? You don't know that for sure until you've had at least two at a time."

"SEPARATELY," Kid insisted.

"That's what I meant! You've only had one your entire life…that's like saying you've only had _one_ brand of orange juice, how do you know it's the _best_ if you've only _known_ one?" she asked, playing with his scarf.

Sanji thought of it this way, wrinkling his brow with concern. _What if_ …?

"So you need to allow yourselves to try others," she persisted, pushing Kid away when he made to say something. She poured Sanji another shot glass, this one a bright pink color. He sniffed it, finding it fruity and tame. It didn't even taste like alcohol. "This hall pass will let you do so. Take advantage. _You don't know until you fucking know_."

Sanji exhaled heavily. "I guess…"

"Because sex is just sex! It doesn't mean anything unless it's with someone you like! You're not going to fall in love with someone just because you've had different dick – you already know who you love, and he obviously doesn't love you – "

" _He does_!"

"He _doesn't_ because he left you, get over it! Someone that loves someone wouldn't just dump them and tell them to go play with others – can you see _yourself_ doing this to him?" she asked, jumping from his lap and looking over at the railing over the people below.

"I think I drank too much," Kid complained, hand over his mouth. "Who let me drink this much?"

"Kid! Go pee!" Bonney shouted at him, then looked cheery. "Let's _both_ go! Blackleg, you need to?"

"No, no."

Both of them made their way down the catwalk, headed for the restrooms. Sanji looked after them, then looked at his phone again. The two girls Bonney was with were slumped over each other. One was puking between her legs, watery vomit dribbling down the platform and onto the crowd below. They were so busy dancing and flailing that they didn't understand that they were being vomited upon. The sight was so disgusting that Sanji stood up and decided to go get some fresh air.

By the time he made it outside, he grew aware of how spacey he felt. He was too hot, he was wearing too many layers, and he ripped his scarf off and tossed it. Then his cardigan went in the same direction, so that he was walking in an undershirt and jeans only. He walked over to Kid's car to look for his chocolates. When he sat in the passenger seat, he thought about the conversation he had. He looked at his phone to see if Law had responded to him, and saw nothing. He tried not to cry, wanting to hear from him so badly that he ached, but at the same time, he was angry that Law was ignoring him.

With no other way to contact him, Sanji felt that Law truly didn't care what he did with whoever he was with. His head felt fuzzy. The taste of his last drink lingered on his tongue, and he smacked his lips a few times. He frowned at the driver's side, remembering the driving lessons he had with Bepo. He needed to think. He couldn't think, here. He leaned over to reach for the keys underneath Kid's seat, and jabbed them into the ignition. Switching seats, he started the car up, and backed out of the spot. It took him a couple of tries because the car behind them was parked too damn close, and then he drove out of there, squinting at the road in front of him. It appeared night time driving _was_ hard to do. He didn't understand why.

: :

By the time he pulled up to the aquarium, his sense of equilibrium was off. He wobbled just to get out of the car, which he'd parked on the stairs, thinking it'd be easier to get to the doors this way. The car fit nicely between the cement railings, even if he had to struggle to get over the door and the railing. The lobby doors were locked, but he sighed with impatience, bending at the knees to check out the hours. In that position, he lost his balance and hit his head on the glass, resting there for a bit to assess his equilibrium. Seeing that they had been closed since six, he heaved a groan and turned away from them. Bonney did not give him juice. This was it, for him. He needed to stay away from anything alcoholic in the future.

He then walked around the car and headed for the back, where he could see the sea lion pen open to the public. Not thinking anything of it, he hopped into the pool, shouting with the freezing water. He swam up to the door the sea lions used to get in from the outside, and kicked that in. Once he was inside the facility, he pulled himself out from the pool, the animals catching sight of him with startled noises. Hopping from platform to the safety railing, he climbed over that and emerged into the main hall of the aquarium. He wandered off to look at his favorite places, feeling sad for himself. The aquarium was different at night. Having the place to himself felt nice, and he didn't feel rushed.

He tried not to cry, thinking about the last time they were here, together. When he said those things, when Law had been planning for their future, and Sanji _ruined_ it with saying those things.

He plucked his phone from his pocket, wiped the screen, and selected a contact.

"Listen here," he said, upon hearing the greeting on the other end. "Stop talking. _Listen_ to me."

"Oh my god, you jerk, are you _drunk_?" Shachi asked.

"NO! I said listen up. I need a favor. You need to do this for me, for one time, for all the times I never asked you for anything," Sanji said, leaning against the railing. His clothes were wet, so he slid off the railing and hit the floor, losing his phone. He dusted himself off clumsily, then picked up his phone. "Look online. Look for this…I need assistance."

" _Where are you_?"

"I'm in my special place! The special – it's off road, it's off to the public," Sanji insisted. "Now, shut up. Shut up and listen close. I can't repeat this, people will hear me. They will hear me, and I will be arrested for public's indecencies. And _maybe_ driving without my headlights off. I forgot they don't turn off – on – over – old cars are dangerous. But LISTEN – "

"I am sending Austin your way, because _I'm_ not dealing with you - !"'

"I'm on a damn date! Don't ruin it! Listen, look up Law's last known address. Google it. Google maps. Apple isn't functioning, right now, I think we're on high alert. The terrorists are coming. But I need to know his address."

" _Who_ are you on a date with? Are you still with Kid? Look, stay there, I'll come and get you – "

"Law's address! His last known address! Bastard won't answer me – he won't. He hates me. That's my conclusion." Sanji sniffled, standing in the middle of the turtle exhibit. He lowered his phone to his side as he felt overwhelming despair settle on top of his shoulders. "He hates me! I suck! I'm a virgin! I _was_. Not in top supply. I don't have _experience_! He was mad because I was on top and I didn't satisfy him! That's the only reason!"

"Oh. My. _God_."

"Shachi, _help_ me!"

"Okay, your special place – the aquarium, right? I'm on my way. For fuck's sake…don't run away!"

"I honestly don't know why I'm like this," Sanji then muttered, shoving his phone into his pocket and looking at the turtles that gazed upon him curiously. "My emotions are all over the place. Is this puberty? Second puberty. Men have second puberties. I'm sure of this. I read it on the internet, it must be true. Which means Law's going through menopause. Insecure jerk. Sexless jerk. God, my hormones are out of whack. I need oxygen. Estrogen. Testro-gen."

He headed down the ramp way for the shark exhibit, finding them drifting through the cool waters over and around him. He thought about what Bonney said, and realized it was similar things Law had told him, too. How would he know if this was true love if it were his _only_ love? Zeff told him to get out and experience others, explore the world. What if Law wasn't his only love if Sanji hadn't _experienced_ his other loves? _Did_ he have other loves? Of course he didn't, because there was only one for him. He didn't understand why people didn't get this concept – but in this day and age, he could see why. Bonney's explanation actually made a lot of sense to him.

He hurried away from the shark exhibit, and made his way back to the car through the sea lion pool. The animals were swimming gaily through the opened doors, and once he pulled himself out from the water, he saw red and blues in the distance. He forced himself back into Kid's car, backed out from the stairway, and headed in the opposite direction, wincing because he couldn't imagine being jailed for breaking into the aquarium to sort out his thoughts.

Once the ambulance pulled up to the empty parking lot, Penguin cursed as he saw the obvious damage caused to the stairway, black tread marks leading away. He dialed Shachi, his crewmates looking around with confusion.

"He still has me on the line!" Shachi cried. "I'm hearing _everything_ , and it's terrible!"

"He took off! He was here, though. Kid's going to be pissed," Penguin chuckled, looking at the remnants of his paint job left on the stairway walls. "Listen, I can't do this all night, I'm still on duty. I swear to god if he's throwing another one of his stupid fits again – "

"Just tell that bastard to come back! This dude is unhinged! He's doing weird stuff! Why does he do this to us? Honestly, is he that mental?"

"Go get your mom, Shachi!"

" _He's not my real mom_!"

Penguin laughed merrily at his indignant shout, hanging up. Then he apologized to his crewmates for the false alarm. He was not going to contact Law about this – this was not his mess to clean up.

: :

Squinting, Sanji eventually realized he was being followed. It was that car again, and the brights were on maximum, so he couldn't see a thing. Remembering that Kid said he'd been chased by Gin all night, he stomped on the gas. He'd lose this jerk – he already had a turn, damn it – and jerked on the wheel, pulling into a supermarket parking lot. He was driving through there when he spotted a familiar brand name across the way, and turned in that direction. He had cash in his wallet, and he just remembered he needed plant feed. The car behind him got caught in a cart puller's path, so Sanji hastily made his way over a busy lane and careened into Target's parking lot. He left Kid's car running – for easier escape – and hurried inside. People looked at him with a start, then looked him over with aghast expressions.

Sanji frowned at them and hurried through the aisles for the garden section. It took him a bit, but he found his plant food and raced for the checkout line.

" _KID_!" he heard Gin bellow, followed by several guys racing about. Customers panicked. Sanji quickly hid in the little girls' clothing section, ducking low with a curse. He grabbed his phone as he ducked into a staggered clothes rack, and made to dial when he realized that his call to Shachi was still on.

"Shachi," he whispered.

"OH MY GOD WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I'm at Target! Shh, Gin's looking for Kid. But he doesn't know Kid is still back at that place where I was at," Sanji snickered. "I took his car, he's so dumb."

" _Please_ don't drive!" Shachi begged. "This isn't funny. Leave the car where it is. Where in the blasted city are you?"

"I'm at Target."

"There are a HUNDRED Targets in this fucking city!"

"It's the one with the Starbucks inside. Shit, shh, he's passing by," he said, covering his phone with both hands, and shaking his head. He blinked hard, watching as a couple of guys' legs walked by, encased in nice trousers. Looking after them, he then hurried to the self check-out lane, paid for his plant food, and left the store. He left Kid's car and hurried down the sidewalk, running for the park nearby. After some time, he heaved heavily, aware that he wasn't much of a runner. Plus that alcohol was sloshing around, and he was sure he was going to puke it up, soon.

He began walking again, thinking about his situation. He headed towards the nearest bus stop, confident he had his bus pass on him. Once he found it, he sat next to an older woman that offered him her sweater, so he took it. They boarded the bus, and he sat in the back, feeling sick. He closed his eyes tightly so he couldn't vomit, then opened them because someone was shaking him. The older woman looked familiar, but she was coaxing him to his feet and to exit the bus. Once outside, they went their separate ways, and he found himself outside of his apartment complex.

" _Cool_ ," he commented, heading for the stairway.

But he didn't get there, catching sight of a familiar black Buick. He went over and kicked the bumper, the driver hopping out with a gun before Lucci emerged from the back.

"Honey, I'm home," Sanji told him, slurring as he leaned against the trunk, Lucci giving him a disgusted look.

" _Again_?" he questioned, looking him over, then giving him a look of absolute revulsion. The flowery print with quilted cats chasing after a ball of yarn was not part of the outfit Sanji had been wearing when Kid picked him up. He was also sure he'd been wearing white pants – these were a muddy blue. "You weren't wearing that when you left."

"Listen, I had a long night," Sanji said, looking at his plant food. "My babies are waiting for me. They need me."

"Does Kid know you've escaped?" Lucci asked, with a trace of amusement.

Sanji blinked, then pursed his lips. "He's probably still in the bathroom. Enough of him. You're _obsessed_. Let's come back to me."

"I think it's time you go back inside," Lucci said slowly, taking a cautious step to the side once Sanji swayed once in place. "I'm surprised you haven't…why do you smell like sea water?"

"I had a little accident. I'm not ready to go home, yet. I'm wide awake. Bonney said very relevant things to me, tonight," Sanji said, pulling out his phone to check his DMs. Once he saw that Shachi was still on the line, he hung up on him, then checked his Instagram. When he saw nothing, he threw his phone into the plastic bag. He then gave Lucci a lazy salute. "You're dismissed."

He then turned to begin walking towards the stairway because he thought of his plants needing food, and found himself forced back, shoved into the car.

"I'm not ready for a car ride," Sanji warned him.

" _I_ dismiss myself," Lucci told him sternly. "With all the trouble you've caused tonight with two different factions, I think it's important I remove you from your residence…just in case."

"I _better_ be coming back."

"You will, but I'm not sure in how many pieces," Lucci said, giving an address to the driver, the partition glass rolling up between them. "The coffee shop incident today made me aware that Kaku was onto something when he confronted you with his suspicions."

"Oh, you bastard, you think the same as him? You guys are such pussies," Sanji muttered, digging out his cigarettes and finding them wet, mushy. He tossed them out the window with a heavy sigh. "I'm not doing something underhanded – I'm truly…locating my pinpoint on the map of life. Where am I going? Where have I been?"

Lucci looked at him from the side of his eye, then furrowed his brow slightly. The blond seemed in control of himself, but at the same time, his words slurred somewhat. He refused to believe that this cretin had been driving drunk the entire night – endangering himself and others. "How much have you been drinking?"

"Three tiny glasses," Sanji said, showing him. "One of them was pretty. I thought it was juice."

"Was it pink?"

"As pink as Law's – "

"Don't be crude!"

"I was just going to say cheeks in the chill of winter, but if you want me to say something else to remind you that I have a boyfriend, then – "

"Don't be pathetic. This side of you is really unpleasant."

"Yet, you stole me off the parking lot, and I swear, if I don't come home, and I end up missing for two years – "

"Don't be dramatic!"

"I'm just _saying_ ," Sanji huffed, looking out the window. He slumped, because he was sure it'd help him sleep better. Wait – _see_ better. He straightened up hastily, blinking hard. "Look, I appreciate the concern. But I'm good. Zoro and Ussop was at the apartment, and they'll make sure nothing happens."

"I feel it a personal obligation to finish what was started," Lucci told him, smirking slightly.

Sanji glanced at him, then considered his own jiggling knee. He thought about the things said, feeling the man's eyes on him. Then he shrugged. "Fine. Fuck it."

Lucci frowned at him. "Are you really considering me a 'fuck it' choice, right now?"

"You stole me off the streets. Return me, or suffer the consequences."

"You are so childish."

"And yet you still want me." Sanji then turned on him, looming over him on the seat while Lucci frowned up at him, smelling sea water, smoke, and lingering traces of those pheromones he was wearing earlier. Admittedly, it wasn't a bad combination. And that sweater he was wearing wasn't that hideous – it seemed fitting. Seeing him so rumpled and talking nonsense from his cool-headed appearance and finely delivered arguments was also a turn-on, for Lucci. Because if he could become this undone in a social setting, there were other areas where he could let himself go, and look just as ravishing.

"You're only fucking with your own feelings," Sanji told him, removing his hat as he straddled him, Lucci going completely still as he locked eyes with his. "Denying yourself what you want, but making it plain as day."

"You're making no sense at all," Lucci told him, focused on those sweetly moving lips. "You've lost your mind."

"I know where my mind is, and it's not up here," Sanji told him, leaning down to kiss him. Lucci didn't respond because he was assessing the situation, senses ringing – really, why should they with this irresponsible drunk? – but damn if the younger man didn't moan at this point, pushing himself against him. Fiddling with his hair, touching his ears, every movement controlled and calculated, unlike his words. So of course Lucci felt a response in him.

He answered back to him, enjoying the feel of him atop of him. The taste of him, the – well, he'd make him shower, or something, to get that pool stench off of him, and the remembrance of this moment made him pull away hastily, hand to his mouth.

"Where were you _exactly_?" he asked again, unsure of the exact taste.

"I've only been with one man," Sanji answered, licking his lips, breathing heavily. He then sat back, sure he was going to throw up.

Lucci misread the cue, focused on his hips, the feel of him in all the right places. With some consideration, he maneuvered him off his lap with a huge exhale and stared out the window. He heard Kaku asking him if he'd read 'the spreadsheet' yet, and totally missed Sanji's face turn green. Sanji, in turn, laid his head over Lucci's lap, pillowing his head over his arms. He was sure to feel better after a short nap.

Minutes later, the driver pulled up to Lucci's house. Seeing that Sanji had fallen asleep, he easily pulled him from the seat, the driver pulling away moments later.

"Yes, this is bad," Lucci told Hattori as the pigeon met him with a flutter of wings and noise. He took the unconscious man to the guest bedroom and was careful to lay him down. He seriously considered calling Kaku to come over and restrain him from taking advantage of the moment.

"This will be my good deed for the year," he told Hattori. "Maybe in the morning, I can start over with a nice impression."

He locked his house up and went to take a shower, then climbed into his own bed. He had just settled in when he heard movement at the doorway. He bit his lower lip with contemplation, then gestured at him to join him. Sanji walked to him, cool and composed, and considered him from the edge of the bed for a few moments. He then climbed on, and climbed over him, immediately the aggressor. At this point, Lucci didn't care about any other thing. As far as he was concerned, Sanji was willing and inviting.

His excitement grew because Sanji was putty in his hands, and yet was taking charge of the situation. His hands were all over Lucci, taking him in, shaping him. Causing him slight chills with touches on his face, fiddling with his ears. Eager to go along with Lucci's hands, learning him as much as he was learning Sanji.

He moved to sit up, to help him out of the hideous sweater that he was wearing. Sanji was very eager to get out of it, to open up the buttons of his shirt, hands all over him. It was getting heated, and Lucci was growing excited. He had to force himself back into a calm state as Sanji's fingers buried into his hair, holding him close, exploring his mouth with eager movement. Lucci could smell his excitement, feel it – his hands roved over him, picking at his shirt, loosening his pants.

He felt victorious. He felt hungry. He felt utter satisfaction that this was happening. This man was right where he wanted him, and he was moments from having him. He couldn't wait to have Law return and learn all about this. More than likely, he'd explode from outright jealousy and fury, and he'd turn against Sanji, much like Doflamingo would against a stalemate business partner. Sanji would then be all Lucci's. The power between them would be unstoppable.

It happened before he was ready for it. Sanji vomited into his mouth, and before Lucci could pull away himself, Sanji leaned back and vomited the rest of his alcohol onto his chest and stomach, his lap. Sputtering with the gush of foreign warmth into mouth, Lucci shoved Sanji away, and let out an outraged scream of horror and rage before he realized he had to swallow to do so, and this unleashed another heave. He never felt so undignified than he did right now.

Sanji sat back, vomit drying on his chin, and wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. So his bad luck with sex wasn't limited to Law. Having this happen reassured him that he'd been fine with his choices all along – he _really_ didn't need or want anybody else. Law was the only one for him, and he was going to continue fighting anyone that insisted otherwise. He laughed as Lucci rushed out of the bedroom, heading for the bathroom while Hattori squawked and fluttered overhead. With a look of sheepishness, Sanji had to admit that he felt a whole lot better, now. As if all his complicated feelings and thoughts had been caught in that disgusting lake of alcohol and had been released. He hurried out of the bedroom, spotting his plastic Target bag with plant food and his cellphone. He used that to call for an Uber, hearing Lucci curse furiously.

He vaguely wondered if Lucci would continue to pursue him after this. The thought made him snicker.

: :

An hour later, Kid work up in an unfamiliar hotel room, a girl on one side, and a couple of guys on the other. All of them were passed out. He lifted his head, looking for Sanji. Come to think of it, he didn't even remember when the last time he'd seen the guy. He looked around himself, finding Bonney passed out in the bathtub, girlfriend cuddled up against her. The sink was running, and there was pink all over the counter. It smelled like fruit and alcohol.

Kid staggered outside, and realized he didn't see his car anywhere. He nodded firmly. He did exactly as planned. He was pretty sure Sanji had a good time – hopefully it made a good impression on Law, wherever he is. That no matter where he was, Kid was being faithful, too.

 _That bastard better appreciate my efforts_ , he thought hazily, taking his spot back on the bed and going back to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Glasses: LOL it should!

Alasse-M: Sanji's the worst mess to clean up after EVER and only Zoro sees what makes him happy so far, unconsciously feeding into his needs but being stern about it XD the though of stiff, proper Kine'mon on a coffee date with this mess absolutely slays me – but he handled the situation coolly because that's his code (but he'll never trust Zoro again). Penguin is a responsible first child, and knows how to work his parents moods – unlike other kids. And Shachi and Sanji will have their words – will Penguin give in? You're right about many things – Kid deserves happiness :D

Minnyfox: my warnings are usually quite sound ; )

Ommm: it's good that you did – learn from these guys' lessons. They are valuable (I personally watched an event like this happen, and it was the funniest I'd ever seen in THAT night! XD) It just wouldn't stop! (don't drink and drive)

 **Chapter Sixteen**

Zoro let himself into Sanji's room the next morning, growing concerned that he hadn't heard him come in, last night. He looked over the mess with a severe frown – the bed with clothes strewn all over it, the dresser with some of the drawers pulled out, the shoes tossed in the corner, _near_ the shoe shelf. There were bills opened and sitting on the desk, there was a lamp on the floor, and a picture had fallen from one of the walls. It was a mess as always, and it always made him think of all the times he'd come over when Sanji was gone, and Law was a mess himself. These two were truly troublesome men, and Zoro wondered how he had the patience for it.

He saw that the bathroom was open, light on, and he ventured in that direction with a cautious expression. He found Sanji hugging the toilet, sniffling. He walked over and peered at him, then reached over and flushed the toilet. Sanji looked at him with a start, looking a red-eyed hungover mess, face shining. Zoro retreated. " _Ew_."

"I feel so sick."

"When did you get back?"

"Say, 'welcome back', first."

Zoro crossed his arms firmly. "I will not baby you in this manner."

"Everything is spotty. But," Sanji said, wiping his mouth with some tissue, closing the lid to lean on it, "I'm back."

"Don't sit on the toilet like that…"

With a pouting expression, Sanji sniffled and wiped his face again. "Look, last night, something happened. Not of my plans, but out all of my plans, this was the defining one, and I came to a conclusion that I'm _done_ dating. I don't want to, anymore."

" _Finally_ ," Zoro muttered. "Because it was getting ridiculous…what happened to Kid's car? He's been looking for it, and for you."

"I honestly don't remember," Sanji said sheepishly. "Like I said, my memory's spotty. All I _sort of_ remember is…talking to Bonney and Kid, then…"

He trailed off, snickering, but trying not to. Zoro looked at him suspiciously. Sanji looked at his phone, running through everything. "I didn't text anybody but Law – I called Shachi, but I honestly don't remember talking to him. Look. It was for an hour and fifteen minutes. Maybe I ass dialed him."

"Maybe."

Sanji held his head with one hand, feeling it throb. He felt so dizzy he didn't want to do anything but lay in one place, praying he didn't float away. He laid over the bathroom tile, sniffling again. "I don't remember getting home, but I paid an Uber driver to bring me here. I woke up with plant food, so I was at Target…"

Zoro frowned at him with concern. "Nothing happened that you'll regret, right?"

"If something happened, I don't remember." Sanji wiped his nose again and sat up gingerly. "I just…want him to come back home so bad. I miss him so much. What other assery do I have to commit to make him come back? Even if he came back and was pissed at me for doing these things, I'd be grateful. At least I'd know he still loved me enough to confront me over the things I've been doing."

Zoro frowned at him with disapproval. "So you _have_ been doing things to get his attention? I thought you were more mature than that."

"Half and half," Sanji admitted. "He's always…if I did something he…he'd always come to me and bawl me out, or talk to me about it, or…but nothing I've done so far has been…and I'm _doing_ what people wanted me to do, what is wrong with it? Or is that not good enough, either?"

"You ugly cry in front of me, I'm going to smack you."

"I'm not crying! This is… _pain_. I'm oozing fluids from the inside out. I'm never drinking again. You know what's funny is that Kid had a plan – he said that this was what we were going to do." Sanji smiled faintly. "He said really nice things about Law. I was really grateful hearing someone else do so."

"Only because he's obsessed with him."

"But he was _right_. And I'm an idiot for thinking that following other people's opinions would make me feel like I'd lived life. All I have now are…painful memories of doing stupid things." Sanji winced. "Stupid, _stupid_ things."

"Well, whatever, maybe things weren't so bad, last night. You tend to overdramatize a lot of things out of everything you do. Nothing's ever small with you."

Sanji shrugged, acknowledging this, then Zoro helped him up from the floor. "Take a shower," he said. "I'll go out for some food. Greasy stuff works best in for a hangover."

"I can't even think of eating, right now – "

"SANJI!" they heard bellowed from the front, the door slamming. Sanji winced and groaned as he held his head, hearing Shachi stalk down the hall towards the room. Once he reached it, he reacted with a gasp and shout. His neon yellow jacket, yellow scarf, beanie-hat and bright blue skinny jeans made Sanji's eyes hurt.

"What _happened_ here? Oh my god, you truly are mental," Shachi exclaimed, gaping at the mess. "Are you rolling around in Law's clothes? Wow, you're totally undone."

"Please don't do that insane shrieking," Sanji begged, reaching for a towel and covering his head with it as Zoro watched Shachi approach them. His face curdled, and he held a fist to his nose and mouth as he looked Sanji over.

" _That_ explains it. Well…it's good you're home, I guess," Shachi commented. "I didn't appreciate the call last night, and Penguin was put out while he was on duty. Your insanity was really inconvenient to both of us."

Sanji peeked at him with an upset frown. "I honestly don't remember talking to you. Whatever happened, I apologize."

"Thank god, I'm so embarrassed _for_ you," Shachi mumbled. "Anyway, Kid's wondering where his car is, and if you have any memory of seeing it before you disappeared…plus, everyone's talking about what you caused, so they pretty much think you're unbalanced. Doflamingo's claiming he doesn't know you at all. Croc wants you back in the asylum"

"Why do these people pay so much attention to me? And I don't know where Kid's car is…I don't…remember driving," Sanji muttered, straining to think while Shachi gave him a horrified look.

'You're fucking lucky you didn't kill anybody last night with that stupid stunt!" he snapped at him. "Drunk driving isn't funny! You're a bad enough driver as it is, and you – you were talking about driving without your headlights on! You could've really hurt yourself and someone else!"

"I'm so sorry…it won't happen again."

Shachi then stared at Sanji for so long that Sanji felt himself sweating. The older man then frowned at Zoro. "I need to talk to him without you looming over him like some watch dog."

"No, _he_ needs to stand there and listen so he can further shame me with the memory of what I did later on, in case I forget," Sanji insisted, reaching out and grabbing Zoro's shirt.

"I feel responsible for it, so just lay it on," Zoro said with a reluctant frown.

"What _ever_. Look, I heard who you met up with last night, and I am beyond pissed about it," Shachi said, crossing his arms tightly, turning slightly red. "First of all, I know that guy has controlled every minute of my life and tortured the living hell out of me. But overall, he is _my friend_. I respect him. _Don't tell him that_ , it'll go to his head and make him worse. But I do. I could've been trapped in an arranged marriage by now, drowning in responsibilities, but because of his dictatorship, I'm living an adventure I'd only dreamed about. So to hear you talk to someone that nearly killed him in such a familiar way, pissed me off to no end. I lost respect for you. For you to even _include_ him in your stupidity while Law is away just…it's low."

Sanji lowered the towel to his side, feeling shame creep up his neck and face. Zoro frowned at him.

"I wish I could say something to deny it, but it happened because I remember parts of it," he sighed, fiddling with the towel. "I was on my way home when he approached me in the parking lot. I wasn't thinking, and…he was part of the problem between Law and I, and…there's no excuse."

"So, _what_?" Shachi asked, glaring at him. "You went _with_ him?"

"I did," Sanji said heavily, an expression of regret on his features. "I did."

Even Zoro gaped at him, Shachi's face filling with red, matching the color of his hair. Sanji said hastily, "Yes, things happened to a certain point, but I drank so much that I ended up… _humiliating_ myself. I…honestly, I…I have no excuse. I'm just…now…thankful that things happened as they did, and…I just hope Law forgives me."

Shachi and Zoro stared at him in silence, then wore bewildered expressions.

"But you went _home_ with him! Whatever Law decides of it, you deserve it!" Shachi exclaimed. "You _willingly_ went _home_ with him, with the asshole that caused senpai pain in the first place! _How could you_? How could you be this way?"

"I made a mistake, yes! I told Law everything, and Law knew – I went to him when it first started, and told him what I felt, and he said…"

"This man nearly took his _arm_ off, and you run off with him, the very same man that tried to kill him, that _humiliated_ him over you- !"

"I'm not proud of it," Sanji mumbled, unable to meet his eyes. "I'm not proud of the things I did, but I…take full responsibility for them. There's no excuse."

"What makes you think he'll want you now? You, hooking up with a guy that he despised for - ?"

"Now, hold on," Zoro interrupted, hand out at Shachi grew infuriated and Sanji hung his head with shame and regret. "Hold on. First off, Law was aware of the attraction. Sanji said he told him, he was open with him."

"In a _committed relationship_ , you just don't look at another guy, find him attractive, then jump on his dick once you have a chance!"

"But I didn't! I didn't do - !"

"You _liar_! You just said that you went home with him!"

"I _did_ , but - !"

"Wait, wait, wait, _stop_ ," Zoro said, hand up again. "Calm down. Look, Shachi, I understand where your loyalty is. I get it. But Law left him for a month with the full expectation that he do these things without judging Sanji for it, and this was one of them."

"NO! NO, that's _not_ right!" Shachi snapped, slapping his hand out of the air. "It's _not right_! I don't agree with it! If Sanji did the same thing to Law, gave him a hall pass, and then _he_ ran off with the one person Sanji didn't like, how do you think Sanji would feel? Or is it different because we should all feel sorry for stupid Sanji because he lacks experience? NO. It doesn't work that way. Any loyal person would not bother with the one person that came between them. It doesn't work that way!"

"Look, all I'm saying is – "

"No, Zoro, he's right," Sanji interrupted with a sigh. "He's _right_. I think that things would've been fine if I'd run off with someone else, but…he's right. The one that I was attracted to, I acted on. Out of spite. I _wanted_ to hurt Law for leaving me like this. And I did. I hurt him. And when he comes back, I'm sure Lucci will rub it in. That's my regret to bear. Law would have every reason to leave me, then. I'm so unreliable, I can't even trust myself to make the right decision, sometimes."

"Well, Law said – "

"But he's _right_. I would throw a jealous fit if Law used his hall pass to run off with Kid. I'd feel terrible," he mumbled. "Law is already an insecure ass who doesn't believe his worth, and I've made it worse. I deserve his response when he finds out what I did."

"No, _first_ of all, if he didn't want you fucking around, he wouldn't have left you in this fashion and _told_ you to do these things," Zoro said, interrupting Shachi as he made to speak, "but he knew what he was doing when he did it, and _you're_ a fucking adult who made his own goddamn decisions despite everyone around you telling you to calm it down, so it's also good that you take this regret to heart. Maybe this stupidity will do you both some good in the long run."

"I feel that with your actions, whatever Law decides when he comes back, you have no one to blame but yourself," Shachi muttered stubbornly. "But while this entire thing is one of the most _stupidest_ things that I have _ever_ involved myself in, what stands is the little respect I have for you regarding that man. I watched my friend sacrifice a limb trying to keep me out of harm's way, and knowing that you carried a hard on for that enemy just… _just_ …lose my contact number. I want nothing more to do with you, right now."

Sanji nodded as Shachi turned and left, striding out from the bedroom without saying anything else. After he left, he pushed the towel into his face, and Zoro crossed his arms, frowning. He looked at Sanji.

"Enjoying the gusto?" he asked sardonically. "These are the result of your actions. You didn't _have_ to do what people wanted for you. What do they know about your life?"

"…I hate everybody, but I hate myself even more."

"Well, don't let it make any more bad decisions. If you've had your fill of excitement, then it's time to move on. It's time to repair the damage you've caused and start focusing forward. Only you know your levels – if that's enough excitement for you, then cut it off, and learn from it."

"I…I just…"

"Are you going to take another week to man up, or …?"

Sanji glared at him with reddened eyes, then whimpered. Zoro crossed his arms firmly. "I'm not babying you. You're spoiled."

"Give me a few hours, then I'll go over my findings with you," Sanji said with a hard sniffle, blowing his nose into the towel. Zoro made a face. "This hangover is horrible. I'm dying from the inside out."

"I'll go get some food, then. Meanwhile… _do_ something about yourself."

Sanji nodded, then watched as Zoro left. He sat on the closed toilet and frowned at the tile, feeling horrible over the confrontation with Shachi. He hated himself so much at the moment, giving into Lucci – but at the same time, he _knew_ he needed to know this. He needed that contact to know exactly what he felt. Now that he'd had a taste of another man, been in the company of others, he was as sure as concrete knowing what he wanted. And while he felt angry at everybody, he knew Zoro was right. He himself went into it, eager to prove a point, and now he was paying for it.

What sucked was knowing that Law would have to look these men in their faces when he returned, knowing that he'd been with them. The shame and the guilt he felt made him sick. He'd understand if Law left him after that point.

He grit his teeth, then threw the towel into the hamper nearby.

: :

Penguin frowned at his companion across the table, Shachi glaring at the bowl of ramen, uncharacteristically gloomy. He'd met up with him right after the end of his shift, so he was still in uniform. With their years of friendship, he hadn't known the man to be so angry. Usually, Shachi would let everything roll off his back, but this situation was bugging him – that, or that his overbearing mother was heaping unreasonable requests upon him, again.

He fiddled with his chopsticks before pulling them apart, shaving the tips quickly by rubbing them up against each other. "So, last night was weird."

Shachi grunted, poking at the contents in his bowl. "When's senpai coming back?"

"The thirtieth. He's unreasonable. You miss him, Shachi?"

"That guy really fucked him up, didn't he? This is the longest I haven't herad from him," Shachi mumbled. "Usually he'll send me stupid stuff, but I haven't received anything from him."

Penguin thought it was odd that Shachi hadn't reached out himself, but then again, it surprised him that Shachi hadn't heard anything from him. Law enjoyed bugging Shachi the most. So it made him feel that Law truly was in some sort of angst mode. He made a mental note to bug him about it.

"He was missing most of his arm, I think that would fuck anybody up," he commented.

Shachi scowled. "What's really fucked up is that blond dick _liked_ that animal."

"I try to stay out of those things."

"Senpai, for some reason, worships that guy. And that guy is so _ungrateful_ \- !"

"Hold on, first off, let's establish some facts, here," Penguin said, chopstick up to stop Shachi in mid-rant. "' _That guy's_ ' name is Sanji. Yes, he's a fucking nut. But senpai adores him, and if it wasn't for him, senpai would probably be in prison out of the country somewhere, leading forces of prison gangs onto the general population. If you think about it, senpai was always one point away from being a total villain. He has the power and the influence. And, I get that you're angry about Sanji being a total dipshit about things, but you have to understand that senpai left because _he_ wasn't being nice, either. He removed himself from the situation because he was feet away from doing something despicable to another human being because he was jealous. _Neither_ one of these men are victims, and neither one of them earns more sympathy than the other."

"Are you sympathetic towards _that guy_?"

"No. But I _am_ on senpai's side, always. And he _will_ choose Sanji no matter what. Sanji keeps him sane. Clearly, senpai is Sanji's living nuclear containment unit, too, so both of them deserve each other." Penguin scowled at his pork strips before eating one sloppily. "Fucking assholes."

"I don't agree to that guy's fucking choices."

"You don't have to," Penguin said, wiping his face as he chewed. "But senpai made his choice. He knew what Sanji was about, he knew what he was leaving Sanji to, and he knew that whatever happened, he'd have to live with knowing that it happened because _he_ let it. Yes, Sanji is an adult – but he's influenced by those closest to him, all of them expecting him to make the right decision, to be perfect, to know exactly what to do. Everyone, _including_ senpai, holds him on this infuriatingly high pedestal where he can't do wrong. So the moment he _does_ make a human mistake, exaggerating it just to prove a fucking point because he's a total drama queen, everyone's on him telling him he's scum and he's wrong."

"He didn't have to go running to that guy the moment senpai left - !"

"Yeah, it might've looked weird, but Sanji was hurt because senpai left the way he did. After that big thing at Zeff's place – "

"Senpai was really angry and hurt over almost losing his arm! Senpai would _never_ hurt Sanji – "

"I don't know, but when everyone's telling you that the one you love isn't good enough for you, that you should live a little more to know what it's like being with 'others', what do _you_ think should happen?"

"Ignore it!"

"Because _you_ ignore your mom all the time by not trying to live up to her expectations. You're such a hypocrite."

Shachi scowled, reddening.

"Sanji tries really hard to be what everyone wants him to be, that he's not allowed to be himself. Especially after that Tea Party stuff. Senpai holds him on that same pedestal, then freaks the fuck out when Sanji does something human, like admit that someone is attractive. He's not allowed to make mistakes. How is _that_ fair?"

Shachi scowled harder, looking down at his ramen bowl.

"Now, people think shitty things of senpai because of what he's done, but only _we_ know why he does the shit he does. For him to accept what others think and feel because they feel Sanji is some perfect person wasn't fair to either of them, _and_ , while I don't condone Sanji's craziness, people are now starting to see what sort of person he can be, and they're not liking it. So they make it worse by making him feel bad for what he _does_ do, and when senpai comes back, they're going to blame _him_ for making Sanji do these bad things, and be even more against him, which, in turn, will make Sanji even crazier, and give us more of a work load." Penguin huffed. "Frankly, it's such a pain to even think about, but I can just hear it all now. I bet you went and unleashed your inner ginger on him to make him feel like total shit, right?"

Shachi didn't say anything, lips pursed.

"So, when senpai comes back, Sanji's going to feel that _he's_ scum because he did all the things that Law wanted him to do. Which will create more problems, because Sanji will convince himself he's not worthy of senpai, senpai will be hurt, he's going to react, Snooji will react, and _boom_. More chaos. And this chaos will affect everyone because, for some fucking reason, they're _all_ connected. Think about it."

Shachi glared at him for some time, as he finished his ramen. "Did you just call him 'Snooji'?"

"Yeah. He's such a fucking mental case. You remember that one episode of Spongebob where he doodles himself, and it was just the complete opposite of him, and – "

"You're comparing Spongebob to Sanji."

"Yeah. 'Snooji'."

Shachi snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. But he frowned out over the rest of the restaurant, running Penguin's words through his thoughts. He hated that this man made so much sense, and he hated that he'd reacted in the way that Penguin suspected, but he also hated that he felt ashamed of himself.

"I don't care," he muttered, staring out the window. "Senpai deserves to be with someone who isn't going to betray him as soon as his back is turned – "

"Ryan, you ass, I didn't just talk myself hoarse the past five minutes to go over it, again. Senpai was aware that Sanji would go to that guy – but I bet my life on it that he didn't do anything with him. Right now, I bet he's drowning himself in guilt and regret for listening to people – "

"WHY DO YOU KNOW HIM SO WELL?"

"Senpai showed us both the advantages of sitting back and observing. You're too busy yelling and carrying on over his teasing that you don't even pay attention. You're _never_ going to be promoted."

"There is no such thing as promotions between friends!"

"Just know that I get top bunk in the new house because I'm the best son."

"Oh, shut up," Shachi muttered, giving him a withering look. He scowled out the window again, mumbling, "He said he didn't. He had the chance, and he didn't. He said that guy was waiting for him when he came home – "

"Snooji was drunk as a skunk, I bet, after being with those two. 'Living the life', as others wanted him to, _and yet_ there was someone with their full capacities, waiting to take advantage of it."

Shachi sunk so low in his chair that only his head and shoulders were visible.

"I've been drunk before, and agreed to some shady things," Penguin admitted. "Things I never would have done if I were sober. But Sanji's not allowed to be that way, right? He should've learned the first time walking off with someone he knew. Oh, he should've stayed with Kid and Bonney the entire night – hey, did Kid ever find his car, by the way? Or was it true that Gin drove it off the 96th bridge and let the harbor eat it? Hey, good thing neither of them thought to convince Sanji into anything else, right?"

"… _Fuck_."

"All I'm saying, is that when senpai comes back, Sanji's going to convince him that they shouldn't be together because he did all these things that everyone _wanted_ him to, and he's going to feel horrible about it, and senpai will convince himself that Sanji _wanted_ these things, and we're going to have a full mess in both our hands, because senpai will make Sanji regret agreeing to it in the first place. He's so fucking childish."

"Don't say that so affectionately," Shachi mumbled, sinking even further in his chair.

"I like senpai, I really do. He's really smart and conniving, but he's like a little kid, freaking out whenever something he actually likes is taken away from him. He wants affection, but everyone's afraid of him, and treats him like a threat before they even get to know him. Like a pitbull."

Shachi sighed noisily to drown out his gushing, and pushed himself to sit properly in his chair, to start eating. "Give me a couple of days, then I'll apologize. He did ask for help, and I…I texted you because I couldn't bring myself to get involved with that mess. He drives me crazy, but…ugh, you make sense."

Penguin bit his lips. "It's sucky that you turned that down, Shach. I mean, I know he was probably acting batty, but I bet he was in need of actual help. And he probably felt everyone else would judge him so he went to you."

Guilt tugged at Shachi's insides, and he winced. "I know, I just…"

"Yeah, I get it."

Shachi stopped eating, glaring at his bowl. "Come with me to go apologize to him."

"Nope. This is something _you_ did, you caused it on your own."

"Austin, _please_ –!"

"Buddy, I'm always there for you, but this is something you need to do on your own. This is your life lesson to learn. You and Snooji have a lot in common, that's why you hate your stepmom. Heh."

"You delight in my discomfort."

"Yeah. Go fix it, ginger sprout."

"STOP!"

: :

Early that evening, Kaku let himself through the back door, slipping the key into his jacket pocket. When no one had heard from Lucci all day, they'd sent him to investigate. Kaku thought Lucci was just going through one of his fits again, mad at them for humiliating him at the coffee shop. The leopard devil fruit user looked and acted intimidating, but he really was just a socially awkward person, and Kaku understood this the most. Unfortunately, he was also the go-to guy they turned to investigate.

Hattori fluttered to view, giving a soft noise of greeting. He pointed off to the main hall, signaling the back bedroom. Kaku headed towards that way, giving out a cheery, "Hello?"

He found Lucci in his bed, looking near death.

Immediately concerned, he swept over to the bed, looking down at the man with horror. Lucci frowned at him, seemingly stunned to see him, as if he hadn't heard him come in. His features were frozen, eyes distant, and Kaku fretted, horrified that something had happened and they hadn't been notified. Hattori flew to rest on one of the bed posts, tilting his head.

" _What's wrong_? What happened? Are you okay?" Kaku asked with fright, reaching over to take his pulse, certain that calamity had struck. "What _happened_?"

"Why are you here?"

"We haven't heard from you all day!"

"I refuse to come out," Lucci said, turning his head to hide his horrified expression. "I refuse to show my face."

Kaku stared at him with bewilderment, blinking a few times. He looked around the bedroom, searching for something to indicate the root of Lucci's anxieties, and then looked at him again. "A…Are you… _what_?"

Closing his eyes, Lucci said nothing. All day he'd felt wretched, and his blasted memory kept replaying the scene over and over again. His stomach would lurch, his throat and tongue burning, and he'd feel sick all over again. This level of wretchedness was something he never thought to experience, and he, frankly, did not know what to do. He did not know how to endure.

Therefore, he could not explain to Kaku his state of mind.

Kaku thought Lucci was dying. That had to be the only explanation for this. The man looked like he hadn't slept in days. His skin was deathly pale, and his eyes reflected some war-torn horror, of which origins he couldn't even imagine - !

He reached out and gripped his hand with worry, sitting at the edge of the bed. "Were you hurt in anyway?" he asked. "Did someone attack you?"

Hattori snorted. Kaku looked at the pigeon with concern, then at the man that looked like Death's hand had settled on him.

"Should I call for the others - ?"

"NO. For fuck's sake, Kaku, please leave me in peace," Lucci snapped, jerking his hand away. "Can't a man have a moment to himself?"

"Rob, I'm concerned. I've _never_ seen you in this state," Kaku said stubbornly. "As your friend, your teammate – I have every right to be concerned. Please, let me help you."

"You can't help me right now, I'm…I'm at a state where nothing can," Lucci murmured, looking tortured once more. "There are truly hideous things in this world, Kaku, that no man should ever experience, and I've…I've experienced one of them. I just need time to myself to reset, and…"

Now, Kaku was really frightened. His concern made him shake. He was definite that Lucci had been hurt horrendously sometime during the night. He bit his bottom lip, reaching out to touch his shoulder, breathing shakily.

"Do you want me to send over a…a physician?"

" _What_? No."

"We can do this, Lucci," he said tightly. "Please…I'm…I care. I…as your friend, please…let me help you."

Lucci slapped his hand away. "Fool, there's nothing you can do that can 'help' me after the horror I'd experienced. I feel that locking myself in my room and reliving it over and over helps best - !"

" _No_! No it doesn't! Goddamn it, Rob, I'm calling the others - !"

"If you do, I will drop your guts right here, and make a new memory of it!" Lucci snarled, grabbing his wrist as he made to pull his phone from his jacket pocket. "I cannot have this out there, where people will judge me, mock me, make me feel…wrong. In all honesty, it was my fault. It was…all my fault…"

"What'd you do?" Kaku asked worriedly, looking down at the fingers that clenched him tightly. He winced. "Please don't blame yourself for this – I'm sure we can get through this."

For a few moments, Lucci said nothing. But he let him go, and resettled against his pillows. He couldn't speak of it. _It was too horrendous_. His mouth trembled for a moment, and Kaku held his breath. Worry clenched his teeth. He looked around Lucci's room, looking for spatter, for something out of place. But the modern-deco setup was as pristine as ever, and –

He stood with a curious look, spying something out of place at the foot of the bed, just below the bedframe. When he picked it up, he discovered that it was a sweater with kittens on it. Lucci was out of bed and snatching it out of his hands in moments, striding out of the room with a growl. Kaku followed after him with a panicked expression.

"Rob! What was that? Why – why was it there? What…?"

"You'll say nothing of this!" Lucci snarled at him, striding towards his fireplace. He threw the sweater in there, and made to light it, but Kaku grabbed it, saying, "You can't do that! You'll set smoke all over! What is this?"

Kaku examined the sweater as Lucci's neck and face reddened, and he strode away from him, headed for the bar. Then he turned away from that with a slight stagger, something that caused Kaku distress because Lucci was always a man that self-medicated, and to reject alcohol was a serious cry for help. Lucci then headed back for his bedroom with a stutter step, Kaku looking after him with bewilderment. He re-examined the sweater once more, looking for clues. He found a vague spatter of bright pink around the collar. Blond strands of hair. Drawing the sweater to his nostrils, he smelled…talc. Smokey male sweat. Some sort of sea water. Pheromones.

" _Blackleg_?" he questioned vaguely, puzzled. Kaku gave it a dubious look, trying to imagine the younger male wearing such a monstrosity reserved for grandmas. At the sound of Hattori coughing, he looked up. The pigeon was mimicking something into his feathers, and Kaku realized that it was pretending to throw up. Which confused him even further.

"HATTORI!"

The pigeon fluttered away, seemingly snickering. Kaku thought it was the strangest thing, because Hattori was usually so well behaved. But he licked his lips with anxiety. He glanced in the direction of Lucci's bedroom, and wandered back in that direction with the sweater in hand. Lucci had returned to bed, his back to the door. Kaku was concerned over his behavior, deathly afraid that something nefarious had happened to his friend, and Lucci could not say. A strong man wouldn't – which worried Kaku ten times more.

"I'm glad you're okay," he murmured. "If you need anything, please…please call me. _Rob_?"

"Yeah, yeah."

With one last look of worry, Kaku turned and left the house. He looked at the sweater in hand, then stalked down the driveway, where one of the company cars waited. He was on his phone in moments.

"Jabra, Califa, Blueno, I just left Rob's," he said, the conference call activated by Califa sitting at their main office, waiting for him to check in. He settled in the backseat, looking at the sweater again. "It's an emergency. I need to know everything about Blackleg's whereabouts last night. This is…I fear he did something to Lucci."

Jabra laughed. "Well, he _is_ pretty aggressive…!"

"This isn't the time to joke about things!" Kaku snapped at him, shaking the sweater he held in one hand. "Rob was really broken up! He didn't look like himself! And we know Blackleg was with Kid, but for how long? And - ?"

"I think we should all take the time to step back, and really think about things," Blueno interrupted, the sound of restaurant activity in the background. "For one, Blackleg was with Kid. But around 9:48 pm, he abandoned Kid's car in the parking lot of Target, over on the south end of the city. Rob was unaware of his whereabouts after that, considering that Gin was making a mad effort to kill Kid for intruding. It took two of us to bring Gin down from that bridge after he drove the car into the harbor. Another hour and a half to make sure no one was in there. While he's sitting in jail, Krieg's angry about his antics, and is threatening to fire him with his own hands – "

"He won't," Califa cut in with reassurance. "Gin is Krieg's favorite. He'll let him sweat it out behind bars for awhile, for letting his temper speak for him."

"On that note, at 11:23 this morning, Kid emerges from the hotel with Bonney's girls, and realizes he can't find his car, or Blackleg, anywhere. He's caught on camera over at the iHop on 83rd. He calls a friend to ask him if they'd seen his car. He comments on Blackleg's Instagram account repeatedly, causing others to mock both of them. Crocodile openly questions Blackleg's sanity, and wants Zeff to return to 'control' him, which results in Doflamingo baiting him, which explains the downtown confrontation between them both. Spandem and Jabra interfered in that fight. Somewhere at three in the afternoon, Kid finds out what Gin did to his car. He storms the jail. A fight breaks out. We're called there around four fifteen to break it up. Nico Robin comments on the thread on Blackleg's Instagram account that he'd been home all day. Luffy confirms it, and posts a group selfie of them at Blackleg's – who is clearly hungover." Blueno paused. "What a lightweight."

Kaku stilled, then glared at the partition separating him from the driver.

"Kaku? Thoughts?" Califa asked, turning the page of something in front of her.

"Tell me, what does Blackleg have to gain with this?" he asked. "What's possible between two of these factions that - ?"

"Nothing."

" _Wrong_. He just showed the city how much power he has over two men. That they'd be willing to break city law to fight over something _he_ caused. He broke rules! If he's hungover today, then he was drinking last night, so he was drunk when he took Kid's car – cause for concern! There are laws, jail time for this sort of behavior!"

"You have it in for him," Califa said, with a surprised tone. "These are two men with known tempers that often rage out of control without little provocation. Of course Kid would be angered that Gin wrecked his car, and Gin _did_ threaten him over social media to stay away from Blackleg – "

Kaku growled impatiently. "Blackleg _knew_ what sort of influence he has over both! Kid is obsessed with Law – of course he'd coax him into some back alley, along with Gin, knowing that they have tempers!"

"Blackleg isn't planning anything, Kaku," Califa said in a similar tone. "There's nothing for him to gain with this attention, other than trying to coax Law back into town, wherever he is hiding. He's only doing this for his attention, can't you see that?"

"That's just silly, men don't do such things - ! There is definitely something wicked with his behavior, and I can't believe you people cannot see this for yourself!"

"Kaku, I feel that you are obsessed with Blackleg in an unhealthy manner," Blueno said. "I feel that you should step back and take yourself off any case involving him, as your mind is polluted with some self-interest in the matter."

"Blueno - !"

"Jabra, _wake_ up," Califa commanded, all of them hearing his snort and resulting cough.

Kaku exclaimed, "I am _not_! I'm just saying! He's capable of causing controlled chaos! He's doing this so that the syndicate heads would see how ill-prepared we are with them, and -!"

"I feel that Blueno is right, Kaku," Califa seconded. "You've been against Blackleg from the very start. You've judged his every move. You've scolded him every chance you get – "

"I have _never_ \- ! You are _wrong_!"

"And I feel that you're targeting him especially since Rob mentioned that he was interested in Blackleg, so I feel you are behaving overprotectively over Rob. You feel that he will be hurt if he's involved with him, don't you?"

Jabra laughed. "HAHA! _ROB_? Being _hurt_ by that guy? HAH!"

"He might be strong enough to kick buildings down with his bare feet, but I feel that Rob is sufficiently composed to handle Blackleg's atomic meltdowns," Blueno commented. "After all, he is more mature than Blackleg, and Blackleg's emotional investment in the Donquixote kid is more stronger than any one of us could possibly think to break. He is codependent on him."

"Addicted. His first love. So of course he'll have trouble letting go, or moving on," Califa seconded. "Don't worry, Kaku, Rob is fine with this. He only wants sex. He assured us of this."

"I feel so gross talking about Lucci's sex life, here," Jabra muttered with disgust. "Look, Kaku – if it makes you feel better, I'm pretty sure Rob will be fine. He's better than that kid. That kid can't even make it to the front door without looking like a ninny. Rob is okay."

"I just feel that something happened that put Rob into bed rest," Kaku muttered. "If you'd seen him…and Hattori was behaving oddly. I feel that something happened, and he's too ashamed to say anything."

"Like, maybe he had Blackleg, but Blackleg topped?" Jabra asked curiously, lowering the partition between them to look back at him. "Because it would all make sense!"

"…Were you guys riding in the same car?" Califa asked, bewildered. "I just heard – "

"Yes, you know we have to go double on duties such as this. This is Spandem's code," Kaku reported, rising the partition again, nearly smashing Jabra's fingers.

"So, why didn't you check in on him yourself, Jabra?"

"Rob banned me from his home after that time I dropped a cup in his sissy kitchen. Whatever, I was a little tired from last night, anyway. Esmeralda was on fire!"

"Oh, the one with the lopsided - ?"

Kaku cleared his throat noisily. "Look, all I'm saying, is Blackleg was at Rob's house, and something happened. I feel he made an attempt on Rob's life. This sweater I found was something Rob would never touch, and yet…it has Blackleg all over it."

Jabra lowered the partition to look at it, wrinkling his nose. "Ugh, it's hideous. It looks like something you'd find on an old person! It has pink on it, and…kittens. There are actual quilted kittens on this thing. Hey, you guys seen Blackleg in that pink cardigan?"

"Please, _enough_ with the cardigan!" Califa mumbled.

"This is ten times worse."

"This pink is familiar," Kaku commented, pointing at it. "He was with Bonney, last night. He might have imbibed in her special juice she's trying to market with the younger generations."

"It would explain his actions, last night," Califa said. " _If_ we can get him on tape to prove he broke into the aquarium."

"It's weird how that section of time was wiped from the security footage," Kaku said darkly. " _Suspicious_."

"And the Target where Kid's car was last seen…all we see is Gin rushing about, yelling. Blackleg is not visible anywhere."

"Even if Law isn't here, there is no doubt he's watching over him," Blueno muttered.

"You think so?"

"It's only _obvious_!"

"That devious bastard!"

"We can't say that for sure, Blackleg has friends in many places," Califa sighed. "Look, Kaku, find out if that's actually Bonney's drink. If so, I'll pull her in for questioning, on distributing unregistered substances."

"Right, right. But - !"

"At this time, we don't have enough evidence to suspect Blackleg of any wrong doing. Both men said nothing about his whereabouts, and Gin was even surprised that Kid was not in the car at all," she said. "Spandem would agree, if he were here."

"Where is he, anyway?"

"Tinder date. He's showing off his yacht, again."

" _Ugh_."

"Right?"

"I just feel Blackleg is up to something," Kaku muttered, looking at the sweater. "It's too convenient of him to target these three in particular."

"If he were devious, then he'd have targeted bigger heads," Califa said, turning the page once more. "Why choose only _these_ three? Gin might have a say, but Krieg has the ultimate say. Kid is reckless, but he will only hop at the mention of Law. Rob would not let Blackleg manipulate him in any way – he's older, with more experience. I think that you are just…overthinking things."

Kaku sighed. She made his suspicions sound childish, and as he thought of it, he had to agree with her. Kid and Gin had tempers that made them infamous, and neither of them would ever allow the other to step on him. It was only a coincidence that they acted the way they did – it was only dogs, causing fights around each other once they caught scent of a bitch in heat.

He tossed the sweater aside. "Right. You're right. Fine. We'll just go talk to Bonney about her drink."

"Okay. Keep me updated!"

Jabra lowered the partition once everyone hung up, and looked at him suspiciously. Kaku frowned at him. "What?"

"I don't know."

"Then why are you staring at me?"

"I don't know."

Kaku rolled his eyes and raised the partition again, then stared out the window with his arms crossed tightly in front of him. He could only curse Sanji at that point, not liking how suspicious the blond made him feel.

: :

Sanji had just put out the last of his and Chopper's dinner when the door rattled, and then opened with a slam, startling both of them. Zeff barged in, red faced, shutting it hard behind him.

"What the fuck are you even thinking?" he snarled, striding up to Sanji furiously. "What is wrong with your head? _What is wrong with you_?"

"Old man! Don't come up into my home and demand such things!"

"Are you out of your damned mind? Have you seriously gone mad?" Zeff exclaimed furiously, Chopper slinking from the table to hide underneath as Sanji put down the platter he'd been holding and turned to face him, hands on his hips. "Throwing yourself out there on visible platforms, behaving like some hussy?"

"Look, that's how it is nowadays, Zeff. That's how things run."

"But _you_ don't have to put yourself out there, like this!"

"Times are changing, old man! This is how it's done! I'm doing things that guys my age are doing, isn't that what you wanted? Me to experience _life_? Well, I'm doing it! I've covered everything from getting high, to drinking, to drinking _and_ driving, breaking and entering, making out with a man that _isn't_ my boyfriend, attending parties, learning how to get around this city – I've pretty much done everything guys my age have, _so why are you mad?_ "

"This is absolutely ridiculous! You're making yourself into a fool! No one will take you seriously like this! When I'd asked that you live and make something of yourself as an individual, I didn't mean you throw yourself out there like a fucking fool! How are these men supposed to take you seriously when you're making yourself look like a damn hussy?" Zeff exclaimed, hand on his heart. "Hussies aren't taken seriously – they're mocked and belittled until they're nothing more than a hard joke on those around you. You think these men will look you in the eye after this? Knowing you've put them through this? NO! They will not respect you for anything after this!"

"I feel that you should feel that way, but my business is my business," Sanji said, hands on his hips as he faced him defiantly. "You told me to live the life guys my age are. _I did_. I experienced some of that shit. I didn't want to – I was fucking _happy_ living the life I was! I saw no need for any of this! All of you blasted me for it! What was wrong with my happiness?"

"Nothing, you little shit, but - !"

" _So what's wrong with me doing what you wanted_?"

"You _try_ me all the time, don't you, you little jerk? You've challenged me – all your damned life - !" Zeff's hands shook as they threatened to reach for him, Sanji swatting them away with a careless hand.

"I have a month to do all these things, because apparently, I'd _never_ do them with Law, and after experiencing them for myself – why should I? Every moment has been utterly ridiculous, and I fail to see any further appeal to it."

"Because more than likely _you're_ the reason behind the ridiculousness!"

"How dare you accuse me of turning a ridiculous moment into something like - !"

Zeff drew a hand down his face with exasperation, giving a growl as Sanji stared up at him with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "First off, I'd forgotten who I was instructing to experience 'life' – why'd I have confidence in that you'd handle this with grace and careful thought? Silly me!"

"Damn right!"

" _It's just like you to exaggerate things, you little shit_!"

"For one, I'd just like to argue that _most_ of it wasn't my fault –"

"So what's in it for you, boy? What are you planning, getting those two boys fighting over you?" Zeff asked over him, looking at him suspiciously, Sanji pausing in mid rant.

Then he gave Zeff another scowl. "How _dare_ you think I'm doing this – this is the second time someone's called me out for – "

Zeff stared hard, and Sanji rolled his eyes, sighing. "Fine, look…I knew what would happen when Law left me. All these…weirdos would crawl out the woodworks, thinking I'm some sort of _prize_ – so embarrassing – so I used it. I can't say why. Corazon – "

"You're _working_ with Corazon?"

"Corazon and I have an understanding," Sanji muttered.

"Does this involve his son?"

"Safety _and_ security of his son."

Zeff exhaled heavily, looking at the ceiling, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sanji grabbed one of his arms and tugged on it hard, but the man didn't budge. He punctuated every sentence with a tug on Zeff's arm, as if driving his point home. "The bakery is really trying their best to either rid of him, or force him to agree to their terms! Of course I'm not allowing that to happen! Why should they? They've not done anything wrong – their only involvement is because of me!"

"Right, right…"

"So…I have this plan…and it's working well. I have what I need to use when it comes down to it, and with the bakery plotting on bringing force to the syndicates, to force them into following their rules, I'm counting on them to get impatient and angry over the lack of control they feel in their own lives," Sanji muttered, leaning in to open and close his mouth on his arm with thought, causing Zeff to wave him away.

"And _Corazon_ is involved? Idiot. Don't you think - ?"

"He's not directly involved in it, he just gives me information here and there, and…I've used these dates to investigate them. His main focus is keeping Law out of the bakery's hands – they threatened to kill Shachi over it, why shouldn't I take this as a threat? And one of them damaged him enough to nearly lose his arm – why don't you think I shouldn't feel as if I'm going to lose him? _Zeff_?"

Chopper peeked out from the hallway, ears perked. Zeff was giving Sanji such a look that he trembled a bit, but the old man was listening. He exhaled heavily. "Then this entire show was…under your control the entire time?"

"…Sort of. A few things here and there were…a little more than I experienced…but the end result is that I am confident that things will go my way when it comes down to it."

"But you do realize how big of a joke you are, now? Right? _Boy_!"

"So _what_? People don't have to take me seriously, they never did! What matters in the end is that my heart is safe. That's the only thing that matters to me, right now! That's only the ever thing that matters!"

Zeff exhaled once more. "I'm aware of it."

"I don't like what I've become since he's been gone, Zeff. Old man. Fucker. _You_ caused this, too! What the hell is he thinking, being away for so long? What is he doing? Is someone looking out for him, too? I have everyone here, watching me make a fool out of myself for their fucking benefit, but is someone watching over _him_ and making sure that he's eating? Getting enough sleep?"

"You ugly cry on me, boy – "

" _I was happy_! So why were people so upset that I was? Let me find out for myself what happens in the end – it's _me_ sleeping with him, it's _me_ being with him, it's _me_ wanting this with him – it's nobody else!"

"Stop screeching at me," Zeff said, forcing him to turn away and walk to the dinner table, where both of them sat. He handed him a cloth napkin, and Sanji wiped his face, his eyes. "Look, maybe I was a little too hard on both of you. But that's a parent's right. Yes, I think fondly of that kid for everything he's done for you. There's no denying that. For a little twat, he treats you well. Spoils you, even. I could do without the attitude, but…anyone in my place would feel that way no matter what. It's hard to give up a position in life that was held for years, to entrust it to someone else. Also, it's difficult thinking that you'd settle with nothing more to your life experience than what you already had. I just feel there is more to life than what you've had, and I want the best of it, for you.

"I just… need to step back and realize who the fuck I'm talking to, most of the time. You've got your own mind, so you'll self-sabotage on your own."

Sanji narrowed his eyes.

Zeff frowned, hesitating for a moment. "We've been in regular contact – "

Sanji jumped on him, biting his shoulder, pulling his hair, Zeff standing with a roar. Chopper thought that this was a battle that resulted in death, gasping and crying aloud, but Zeff yanked him away and kicked him in the direction of the kitchen, huffing.

" _You said nothing_!"

"Of course I didn't! But he's fine, he's doing well. I know he feels…very bad for doing this, but he was under pressure, too. I didn't help. Of _course_ he wants to be here. Of course he'd be here if he wanted to. But it is a very real concern for his arm being in the process of healing, and I know how that Rob Lucci gets when he wants to assert himself," Zeff said. "Right now, he has limited mobility in his fingers, and he can lift a little. A couple more weeks, and he should be fine."

Sanji clung to him again, clawing at his shirt before jerking at him, uttering noises between gritted teeth. Zeff swatted him away.

This gave Sanji little comfort, though, hearing that Law had been in regular contact with Zeff. It made him feel emotional. He sat on the floor, gripping his apron with both hands. He wasn't sure if he felt more angry at this, or sad, or gleeful –just a mixture of things.

Zeff patted him atop of the head. "The little bastard's fine. Whatever you've done, he doesn't feel angry or resentful over. Like I said, that was…part of my influence. I…feel bad for being hard on the boy. But I won't apologize for it. You're my son, no one's good enough for you."

Sanji rubbed his eyes, Zeff watching him cautiously.

With a light sniffle, Sanji said, "I won't beg you to make him come back home – I've done enough of it, myself. I understand the situation with his arm – I want him to feel confident with it, again. I…I _want_ you to tell me where he is so I can go to him – but in doing so, my plans would be…incomplete. Because of all of this, just…please…continue to be someone he can rely on that can tell him good things, and care for him. I wish it could be me, but it'll be impossible right now. I would ruin everything I've done so far just for a moment with him."

Zeff noticed that Chopper was watching and listening from a distance, eyes wide and glistening with tears. He had no doubt that the small pet – _being_ – missed Law as well. Despite Law's teasing, Chopper was pretty reliant on him being around, too. It made him feel a little happy – knowing that this mismatched family were close enough to accept the circumstances around them. But he still felt Sanji was too young, and Law too crafty, and Chopper was still a reindeer.

"He'll be fine. Both of you are just…big babies," he said gruffly.

"Everyone says such… _things_ about him, and…in this time…he needs someone, too. I don't know if he's talking to Corazon because Corazon will leave to go find him, and…"

"Corazon is talking to him."

Sanji felt relieved.

"Like he'd be able to disappear under that man's watch," Zeff said to Sanji with exasperation. "That man is a stage five clinger."

"He said nothing to me."

"But if you'd asked him directly, he wouldn't be able to lie to you. So don't ask."

Sanji frowned at him with exasperation.

"It'll be fine, you little shit. Get off the floor. Stop acting like a damsel in distress. Grow your balls back. What did you make tonight that smells too much of rosemary?"

"Don't you dare!"

"And you're serving this little ass, whose taste buds are probably as mutated as his body, so he can't tell you what's wrong with it."

"Leave Chopper along, you old hag. C'mere," Sanji said, waving at Chopper to join him on the floor. Once he did, Sanji hugged him tightly. "Ignore him. He doesn't want to admit he feel's soft in the head."

"Quiet, mother homo. Chicken? And this slop is gravy, to you?"

Getting up, hefting Chopper on one hip as the reindeer sniffled and pressed his head awkwardly to his shoulder, sad over the talk of Law, Sanji patted his back and looked over the spread. "Mashed potatoes, roasted chicken with gravy. Comfort winter food. And there are no complaints."

"Dogs don't complain when starving," Zeff muttered, making himself a dish. "Fine, I'll eat, if you insist."

"Please give him a lot of compliments, and make sure that he's eating three meals a day. If not him, tell Bepo to make sure of it. I just…"

"Don't tell me how to have a conversation with anyone. Sit down. Put that thing down, you're making yourself even worse."

"Please tell him I love him and miss him."

"I'm not saying anything about this conversation to him. I get the feeling he'll show up sooner than he should."

Sanji growled at him, then watched him take a few bites. Zeff said nothing, but shrugged.

"You're getting better."

"I am _amazing_! Just admit it! Stubborn old bastard."


End file.
